Surviving Happily Ever After
by laura-maeve
Summary: *3rd installment of the Jacob/Nessie trilogy!* Twice now, Jacob and Nessie have survived Tristan's attacks. Now, they're happily married. And after running into someone who confirms their future, they'll have to fight to make sure it comes to pass. In this final installment, Nessie and Jacob must face both of their enemies on the battle grounds. Who will survive? Who will fall?
1. Chapter 1

**Didn't I tell you I'd be back with round #3? BAM! First chapter, baby. Came to me like a raging river. And if you haven't read my excerpt from PIP, then get to it! It's sweet. Now, some people may not like the way I did this first chapter. I introduced something into the mix, and whether or not I use it again will depend on the feedback I get. Don't worry. You'll understand once you read it.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

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**RPOV**

Skidding into the cabin on the hardwood floor, I squealed my way into the kitchen.

"They're here!"

Jacob, who was bent over a sandwich, said through a mouthful, "That's great!...What's here again?"

I rolled my eyes with a grin. "Our wedding pictures. And a video apparently. Esme sent them to us."

Swallowing, Jacob wiped his mouth with a paper towel. "Video? I don't remember seeing that kind of camera."

"Because you weren't paying attention."

He came over to wrap me in a warm hug. "Who was working the camera?"

"Esme."

He frowned. "But I thought she was taking the pictures."

I grinned. "She was."

His frown deepened. Opening and closing his mouth a couple times, he finally just shook his head. "I'm not going to ask. Your family mystifies me."

Laughing, I drew away from him to sit at the carved, wooden table. "You and me both. But come on, let's look at them."

He pulled out a chair and brought it over so he could sit next to me. "I hate to break it to you, Ness, but we were there, remember? Why look through the pictures?"

Opening the large envelope, I gently pulled out all the pictures. No doubt they were copies. My grandmother had probably hung the originals all over her house. Together, my husband and I started shuffling through all the pictures, laughing at crazy dance moves caught on the dance floor, tearing up at ourselves at the altar. Jacob's favorite picture was of him twirling me around after the preacher had announced us husband and wife. The picture was perfect with no blurring.

My favorite was kind of a candid. Claire had been given sparklers after the sun had gone down. Jacob and I had been standing on the side of the dance floor talking. I was tucked into his side, his lips at my ear. I'd been looking down, smiling at whatever he'd been saying. With her sparklers, Claire had danced around us. Later, I'd found out that Esme had gotten the idea off of a website. With a longer exposure time, Claire had disappeared in the photo, and it looked like Tinker Bell had flown around us with her fairy dust.

My fairy tale. It was an utterly perfect picture.

"Can I have this one framed over the mantle when we get home?" I asked. I didn't want to presume in case there was another he wanted more.

Shaking his head, he kissed my temple. "Of course. I like that one, too."

"We'll get your favorite one framed, too."

He laughed, getting up from the chair. "Yeah. I'd like that. Now, come on. Get ready."

Confused, I tilted my head in question. "Why? Where are we going?"

"Back into town. We're gonna get that art set for Claire, and the wolf toy for Henry."

It was my turn to laugh as I went in search of my shoes and camera. For our honeymoon, Aunt Alice had snagged a private cabin from an "old family friend" in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was beautiful here this time of year. The trees were flaming with color. Fire orange. Blazing red. Warm yellow. All covering rolling hills.

I'd been confused when Esme had handed me a laptop and camera. She'd said I'd understand when I got to where we were going. She was right. I completely understood. While Jacob had driven the rental car up to the cabin, I'd snapped a hundred pictures in ten minutes. Once we'd gotten to the cabin, Jacob had carried me over the threshold, and then taught me how to upload all the pictures to the laptop so that I could reuse the memory card. Afterward, we'd gone hunting. Jacob had wanted to stretch his legs after the flight, and I needed to feed. After my weakness, and craving Nyla's blood, I'd put myself on a strict hunting schedule, which Jacob helped me keep up with.

The second day here, Jacob had told me that he was taking me to the aquarium that was down on the river. My family and I had never travelled further than Seattle, so I was going to see as much of the "outside world" as I could while we were here. Thousands more pictures had been taken. We'd even done a behind-the-scenes tour where we got to feed one of the tanks and an octopus played peek-a-boo with me. The tour guide had told Jacob that I was great with animals. Jacob had chuckled, replying that I always had been, that I'd even befriended a wolf or two. We'd shared a secret smile.

After the aquarium, we'd walked, hand in hand, around all the shops. We'd eaten at a restaurant that a local had suggested. It had been great. Pictures had again been taken, some silly, some posed. I'd decided to ask Esme if I could keep the camera for a while. Maybe I'd found a hobby she and I could share. Going through the shops, we'd found some things to take home to the family. Jacob had found an art set but hadn't been sure if was too advanced for Claire so he'd waited to call Emily last night. She'd given the ok. Then, there'd been a wolf toy that I'd found. Henry loved wolves, which wasn't all that surprising. It had been sitting in a window display but we'd both been too tired to stop in.

What was surprising about this whole thing was that neither one of us had made a move to make love. We hadn't made love since before the wedding. Was that weird? It didn't feel like it. We were just enjoying each other's company, constantly calling each other by the other's new title, trying to get used to them. I was now a wife, belonged to one man. Totally forbidden to any other man. I could so handle that.

We'd been here a week, and had roamed every store. On the days we hadn't gone into town, we'd just walked through the woods, playing in the piles of fallen leaves. Those weren't common in Forks, where everything was adapted to survive the chronic chilled weather. Jacob had taken the camera from me to "capture the moment". I loved it. We were already making memories as newlyweds. I fully planned on being one of those women to collect photo albums. When we had kids, they'd need to know that mom and dad knew how to have fun, that we aren't always so uptight. Because no doubt any children of ours were going to put us through our paces a few times, to make us out to be the bad guys. However, I was already planning to be the "cool mom" when the time came. I just hoped it worked.

"Come on, Ness. We need to come back and pack."

"What?" I asked shocked out of my inner ramblings. "Are we going home? So soon?"

His laugh echoed into the bedroom. "Nope. I don't know where're going, though. Alice just texted me, telling me to pack up our things. At the airport we're just supposed to ask for our tickets and flash our licenses."

"Wow. Another place to go. I do kind of hope it's warm. I mean, I know that this place is warmer than home, but it's still fall. I wanna go somewhere where the heat can sink into my skin."

When I met him at the front door, he kissed me before holding out my jacket for me. I slid my arms in and he pulled it over my shoulders.

"Well, if that's not where we're going next, I'll just have to make a call to Alice, now won't I?"

Chuckling, I kissed him back. He'd put on a long-sleeved shirt so as not to freak out the locals when he strutted around in a tank and jeans. Cold air swept over the porch, racing leaves across the wood. That was probably what I would miss the most about this place: the actual feeling of seasons, the evidence of them.

Jacob locked up the cabin and took my hand as we went for the car. It was too far to walk, especially if we were going to buy things. "I gotta tell ya, babe. I really hope she's sending us someplace warm. As much as I love this place, I can't stand wearing all these clothes."

I laughed as he shut my door, then hurried to his side. The heater took a minute to warm up, but when it did, I felt cozy. It easy to see why people fell in love with this place as we drove down the winding roads. Maybe Dad had been right when he'd said that Jacob and I could get away from Forks for a while after this whole Tristan/Volturi mess was over. Maybe even live in the mountains further east for a while. Experience all four seasons as they were meant to be. How warm would the summer sun be against my skin?

We'd have to be cautious though. The woods of Forks belonged to Jacob's pack. We had connections that could keep people safe. Here, we'd have to be extra careful on our hunts. Nobody knew anything about us. At home, rumors floated around about the Cullens and how reclusive they were, always hanging around the residents of La Push. How had my family done it? Moved from place to place? Made connections without giving away too much? Lied, probably.

Jacob squeezed my hand. "You ok?"

Distractedly, I smiled at him. "Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About what?" He brought my hand up to press a kiss to my knuckles, and then my wedding ring.

I squeezed his hand. "Honestly, what it would be like if we moved away from Forks. You know, after all of this crap blows over, and we're safe again."

I caught his look of surprise. "You really want that?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. Not forever. I'd want to go home eventually, but I'd like to know what it would be like to try to live around people that have no idea who we are or the rumors about us, you know? Just us, try to be as normal as a married couple can be. Of course, I'd still have to hunt and you'd have to phase, but if we lived in a lightly populated area, it could be achieved."

"Like a cabin in the woods?" he smirked.

I kissed the back of his hand and then held it with both of mine. "That would be lovely. Watching the trees, the forest, change with the seasons? It would be gorgeous, I just know it."

"Away from everyone? Our family, friends? Shelby? Your mom and dad?"

I sighed. "Of course I'd miss them, Jake. But we've been surrounded by them all my life, protected,_ sheltered_. We're a young married couple. We should be on our own for a while, just to get a taste of it." I chuckled. "Shelby would be pissed, sure, but I think she'd support us...and then tell us to get our asses home." It was his turn to laugh. "And I know you'd miss everyone. Rebecca just came back with Henry. You're dad's getting older. And I'd understand if you don't want to. I'm just thinking out loud."

Though his eyes were on the road, he squeezed my fingers again to let me know he was paying attention.

"Baby, if you want to move away, we can. Sure, I want to be around with Billy before...and Henry is my nephew. He's young, but there's always phones, letters, Skype. There are ways to keep in touch. It's not like the old days where you write a letter that the person doesn't get for a month. We could make it work, babe. And it's not like we couldn't visit." He shrugged. "Hell, it might be nice to have to work for a living. I mean, I know I work in the garage at the rez every now and then, but an actual job that supports us without your family's money? That might be nice." He glanced over at me with a grin and eyebrow waggle. "Being the man, bringing home the bacon."

Laughing, I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "What is it with you and bacon?"

"It's delicious." He kissed my wrist. "As are you."

"Alright, lover boy," I said a bit breathlessly. "Get us into town so we can get back to pack. I'm excited about tomorrow."

He noticed my tone. I knew that because as his eyes returned to the road, they filled with heat and growing ideas.

**JPOV**

It was still hard to believe that I was now a married man, my wife in the passenger seat. It was amazing how much our relationship had changed since we'd tied the knot. Something had changed in Nessie. She'd gone and matured one more level on me. The way she spoke now and held herself. It was as if the entire time we'd been together before being married she'd expected something to happen to us, like me up and leaving her. But now? Her confidence was now through the roof. I hadn't noticed before how, when we went to Seattle or Port Angeles, she'd always shied away from me, watching other women as they reacted to me. She'd shrink in on herself and stay quiet, saying she was fine whenever I'd asked if everything was ok.

Since we'd gotten here, she'd met the eyes of every woman that had even dared a glance at me, wrapping her arms around me, molding her body to mine. Every time she did it, I had to smile. She was staking her claim, marking her territory. I knew that look because I also had my own version with other men looking at her. My and my wolf's possession of her had skyrocketed to astronomical amounts.

And that was the reason I hadn't made love to her yet, even though every part of me wanted her skin on mine. The urge to take her was too primal, and I didn't want our first love-making as husband and wife to be too rough. It needed to be sensual, meaningful. Not the mindless sex of two hormonal kids. I'd left the frozen sixteen year old me behind the moment I'd become her husband. And she had left behind the eighteen year old mindset when she'd become my wife. I knew she felt the same way I did because she hadn't pushed for sex nor mentioned it. It was a mutual agreement between us, but I couldn't have helped the delicious comment. I was still cheesy from time to time. But her reaction had made my blood boil. The craze for animal mating was dying down after being here for week and not having her tempt me beyond unconsciously swaying her hips as she walked past me.

Another reason I hadn't made the moves was because I hadn't yet completely healed from my injuries, and I'd wanted to be the one to do all the work, to ravish her, shower her in love.

But now, I was healed. My throat was no longer a mass of pink scars and the chest wound had healed through and through.

Maybe it was time to consummate the marriage. The wolf inside me purred in sane agreement. With thoughts of our last night here in these beautiful woods made special, I steered us toward town to buy gifts for my "niece" and nephew. Nessie wanted to walk, so I parked in one of the many parking areas. Once the vehicle no longer separated us, she was tucked into my side, and I leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

There was a young woman walking toward us, seemingly preoccupied with the sidewalk. Her face was screwed into a frown with her lip between her teeth. I noticed her too late to steer Nessie away from her, so the woman bumped into her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, and then looked up. With a grin, she cocked her hip and put her hand on it. "Well, well. Look what the wolf dragged in."

Nessie gave me a questioning glance. "I'm sorry. Do we know you?"

She'd asked to be polite, but knew damn well we'd never met her.

"No, sweet stuff. We've never met, but I do know you." Without elaborating, she started to walk past us. "Oh, and by the way, your first born son is gonna be a fine as hell badass. Toodles."

"What the hell?" I whispered as she sashayed off. Strangely, the wolf hadn't raised my hackles. And the woman hadn't been lying.

Nessie gave me a look before stepping forward. "Wait-"

"Ness."

She turned to me. "Jacob." Her eyes pleaded. Sighing, I nodded and she turned back to the woman who had turned with a grin. Nessie moved toward her with me shadowing her closely. "You-you're a-"

The woman raised her eyebrows, but looked around before she spoke. "What? You're married to a werewolf and half vampire yourself, and you don't believe in psychics? Wow."

Ok, she was good. She was human. And we'd never met her before.

"So," I said clearing my throat. "We're gonna make it to kids?"

She grinned, knowing she had me, had us. "You mean, are you going to survive your little encroaching problem in your little slice of wet and cold?" She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not."

"You said 'first born son', meaning there will be other children," Nessie said.

Sighing, she studied her nails. "You know, your dream-thing makes me think you have some prophesy in your blood, sweetcakes."

Frowning, I realized she was talking to Nessie. And then it hit me. Nessie dreamed about kids. Specifically three of them, the eldest a boy.

Suspicious, I pulled Ness to my side. "Describe the dream."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Nice yard. You running around, chasing a little dark-skinned boy. A younger girl wrapped around her legs. And a third bun cooking."

"Holy shit," Nessie breathed.

"Welp, I've already said too much. Actually, I shouldn't have said anything. We have rules. But I just couldn't help myself." Frowning, she turned to stare at a woman who was staring at me. "Beat it, lady. He's married." When she scampered off, the girl turned back to us. "One last thing...I'm never wrong."

And then she walked off without a backward glance.

Nessie turned to me with her mouth hanging open. "What just happened?"

I pulled her tight to my chest. "I think we might have just met a new type of freak."

"I mean, how could I not have guessed?" she whispered. "She was right. If vampires and werewolves exist, why can't other supernatural beings? Hell, my dad can read minds. My aunt can see the future. Dad always said that Aunt Alice probably had prophetic abilities before she was turned, just not as potent."

I tightened my hold. "I wish I could say she was just guessing, but she described that dream, Ness, right down to the kids. And she knew what we were."

In a sudden tight grip, she looked up at me with a huge grin. "Jacob, if she's right, that dream is going to come true. We're going to survive Tristan and Jane! Somehow we will."

"She didn't exactly say that, Ness," I said, stroking her hair.

"Jacob, there's no way we could have three kids before Tristan attacks again. It would have to be after. And don't ruin my good mood with your pessimism." Her expression softened, her fingers brushing over my lips. "We'll make it. We've done it before. Somehow, something will go our way."

Kissing her fingers, I said, "I sure hope you're right."

"I am. I can feel it. Now, come on. We have presents to buy." Raising up on her tiptoes, she kissed me. After a moment, I returned it, holding her close.

Taking a deep breath of the chilly air, I tucked her back under my arm against my body. Sharpening my concentration, I made sure that no other strangers got too close to Nessie. If psychics, werewolves, and vampires existed, what else was out there?

The shopping trip moved quickly, partially because we already knew what we were going in for. Nessie had stopped a couple times to look at some jewelry for her aunts, though. She'd found a pendant for Bella. The tree of life, something Nessie found meaning in. Bella would no doubt wear it until either she died or the world ended, whichever came first.

By the time we got back to the cabin, the sun was setting. The cabin's porch had a clear view of the horizon through two hilltops. Cozying up together on the swing, we watched the sun go down while Nessie sipped on some hot chocolate.

She was curled up beside me, feet tucked up under her, her head on my chest. "You know, this day was kind of perfect. And not because of the 'psychic'." She made little quotations with her fingers.

Choosing to ignore the comment, I kissed her hair. "Every day spent with you is perfect, no matter what's going on. So, I totally agree with you."

"You'd really move away for me, wouldn't you?"

"Of course," was my immediate answer. I'd meant what I'd said to her. Being able to support her was the one thing I always wanted to do.

"Then I suppose we're perfect for each other, because I'd stay in Forks if you asked."

Yep, perfect was a good word for her. Every single day she made me grateful for how good fate had been to me. She knew that I was torn in the topic of leaving Forks. My dad, who was aging, was still there. My nephew was there, as well as the sister I hadn't seen since I was a kid. I wasn't ready to go yet, and somehow, she'd seen that under my surety.

Since I really had no words to offer her back, I just kissed her hair again. Honestly, it wasn't a chore. Her hair smelled like mint and honey. It smelled like home.

So, I had been honest in telling her I'd move because wherever she went, I was home. I was where I was supposed to be.

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***Peeks around doorjamb* So, whatchya think? I personally loved it. These two play around in my brain all day, being disgustingly cute, so I just write down what I see. I love each of their new "umph* they both have now that they're married. Hopefully they don't revert. (fingers crossed!) Well, please don't forget to review. Good or bad, I love them! And I love you! xoxoxoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! Don't worry. Nessie's not coming back pregnant, I swear it. I wouldn't do that to you guys. But since everybody who reviewed liked the psychic, I kept her. I even found out some stuff about her. Sorry, no Disneyland for the honeymoon. Saving that for the kiddies, I suppose. But I hope you guys enjoy this one. I did immensely.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

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**JPOV**

Sunset had come and gone, and the wind rustling up the hillside was chilly. I only knew that because Nessie shivered beside me even though she was tucked into my body.

"Jake, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Wrapping my arm completely around her, I pulled her half on top of me. "And what is that?" I asked into her hair.

Her hand moved up and down my stomach, nails scratching the muscles lightly. "The night that you woke up, and I kissed you. You hesitated before kissing me back. Why?"

Damn. I'd been hoping she hadn't noticed that. I cleared my throat. "Well, I mean, I'd known that I must have been out for a while and, well, my breath wasn't Doublemint fresh. Ok?"

Pushing on my stomach, she sat up to stare at me. It was clear she was trying not to smile or laugh, or both. "So, let me get this straight. You'd just woken up from the epitome of worst nightmares right into the arms of your imprint...and you were worried about_ morning breath_?"

I shrugged. "Hey,I didn't say it made sense."

She laughed. "Have you forgotten all the mornings that you've rolled on top of me? And not just for a kiss?"

"That's different. It had only been a night since I'd brushed my teeth. When I woke up, it had been a week! But then I decided I didn't care. I needed to touch you as much as possible to reassure myself that I was really there, really alive."

Leaning forward, she brushed her lips over mine. "Well, I'm glad you came to your senses. I'd been waiting for that kiss for what felt like forever."

I chuckled. "Happy I could oblige," I whispered before applying pressure to turn it into a kiss.

Before I knew it, she crawled into my lap, deepening the kiss, her tongue invading my mouth. I let her, groaning low in my throat as she fisted her fingers in my hair. I gripped her hips while she moved away from my mouth to nibble on my jaw.

"We should go inside," I groaned. "It's cold out here." Her skin had erupted in goosebumps. I wasn't sure if it was from the wind or the moment.

"Good idea," she whispered hoarsely against my throat.

A moment later, she hopped off me to run into the cabin. Confused about what just happened, I sat there staring at the colorful leaves that swept past me into the light of the windows. Sitting there, cooling off, I thought about the 'psychic' from earlier. She'd been completely human, and a complete stranger, yet she'd known us, what we are. Picturing her, I saw auburn hair with distinctive black highlights. Her blue eyes had been a strange shade, somewhere between purple and blue. Her skin, like a lot of redheads, was porcelain white and blemish free. I'd have remembered seeing her before.

Who was she? And why had she even said anything to us? What did she want? Scrubbing my face with my hands, I knew I couldn't handle anymore nasty surprises. If it wasn't one new person, it was another.

Getting up, I locked the cabin door after making sure there was enough firewood inside. When I finally made it into the bedroom, I found that Nessie had packed up our bags. They were all piled neatly beside the door. The bathroom door was closed, the light on.

"Thanks for packing, babe," I called.

The water turned off. "Not a problem."

Sitting on the bed, I stripped out of the long-sleeved shirt and tank. I frowned. Next to bathroom door was an open, empty box. And it was familiar. Picking it up, I tried to remember where I'd seen it before. There was tape all over it as if Nessie hadn't wanted anybody else in it. Right. The cabin at home. Shelby had brought it over the day we'd moved in, and Ness hadn't wanted me to open it, said she was saving it.

The door opened while I was still staring at the box, contemplating it.

"What was in-" I froze when I looked up.

Nessie was in the doorway. Immediately, I started salivating. Her curves were clad in red silk. The bra pushed her breasts up, like an offering. The panties were tiny over her hips. Her skin was white silk against the pop of color, smooth and hunger-inducing. Long bronze curls cascaded down her back, a few locks resting over her shoulder. Those chocolate brown eyes held enough heat to keep one of the fireplaces going for a year.

I swallowed hard as my body heated up and hardened. "The box," I finished hoarsely.

She flushed, adding some innocence to the naughty, making the situation that much more sexy.

"I found the set a while ago, before we ever got engaged, and had to have it. I knew I'd wear it for you tonight?"

I cleared my throat. "Tonight, specifically, or…?"

Sheepishly, she shook her head with a smile. "No. As in, the night we consummate the marriage."

My body went from hard to steel. She'd planned for this night before she knew there would be a wedding? She'd had that much faith in us? My love for her swelled to massive proportions, making me think my heart was going to burst in my chest.

Going to her, I gripped her bare hips and pulled her against my body. She gasped as the lower part of her hit me. I was hard enough that she could feel me through my jeans. Gently, I brushed the hair from her face.

"You amaze me, you know that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know why. I'm just me."

"That's why."

Grinning, she wrapped her arms around my neck, stood on her tiptoes, and met me in the middle for a mindblowingly gentle yet hot kiss, slow and precise. Sliding my hands down her body, I gripped her ass so that I could lift her up. Giggling, she wrapped her gorgeous legs around my waist.

Turning, I walked us to the bed. I went down with her, on top of her. This time, I was the one deepening the kiss, parting her lips with my tongue. She moaned into my mouth as my tongue danced over hers, thrusting inside. Her hands roamed my chest, and I could have sworn she breathed out in relief, in bliss. Had I read her wrong? Had she wanted this the night we got married?

"Jacob?"

Blinking, I looked at her. I'd stopped kissing her.

"Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Her thumb smoothed over my brow, eyes searching mine. "Make love to me, Jacob. Your wolf is calm enough to let us make it special."

My eyes widened. "How did you know?"

Her laugh told me she thought I was silly but still she loved me. "Jacob, I know you, and the wolf. The moment we said our vows, he wanted me. He wanted it rough, to leave a mark. Knowing you, you want this moment to be special and slow, memorable."

"Amazing," I breathed again.

Fingers rubbed over the skin of my shoulders. "Nope. I just know you. I do pay attention."

Pressing my lips to hers once more, my hands roamed her body, feeling the contrast between the lingerie and her skin. I knew this set I couldn't rip off of her, and for once I didn't feel the need to. Slowly, I made my way from her lips to her chest, licking and biting a line down the center of her body. When I made my way back up, my tongue moved over the line of skin just over the cups of the bra. With heavy breaths, her breasts heaved, pushing up further. She reached between us so that she could unbutton my jeans. The zipper followed before her fingers dipped in low, brushing the skin of the lowest part of my abdomen, directly above my hard-as-steel erection. So close.

I nuzzled the straps of the bra down her arms, kissing every inch of skin as I went. My fingers ran over the hem of the panties, dipping under every now and then as she did the same to me.

"Jacob," she breathed in pants. "I need you…to touch me...badly."

I knew my grin was wicked and satisfied at the same time. She'd never say that to another man. Ever. Just me.

Inching down her body one more, I pushed my fingers under the panties at her hips and started to tug them down. She lifted her hips for me, and after pulling them down her long, smooth legs, they were on the floor next to the box. Before I'd thrown them, though, I pressed them to my face for a whiff of her. Oh, yeah. She was more than ready. They were also wet through and through. After I threw them, I landed on my elbows on either side of her hips, my face even with her core.

As I moved my face closer to that sweet spot, I glanced up. She was still breathing hard, eyes heavy-lidded from anticipation. And then I licked her, long and slow. She gasped, pushing her head back into the mattress, hands gripping the blankets. The first touch was always the best for me. I loved her reactions.

But from there, there was no pausing. I made love to her with lips, tongue, and, lightly, teeth. She thrashed her head back and forth, trying to buck her hips. I'd moved one of my arms across her so that she couldn't. She did manage to press herself more firmly against my face, letting me know what was hot for her right now. Every time we did this, it was something different that got her flying.

This time, it was my nibbling on her sweet spot. She jerked uncontrollably, breathing erratic. But I wasn't going to let her come this way, not tonight. While my mouth had been busy, I'd shed my jeans. I was so hard it actually hurt when I brushed against the bed.

Just as she was about to break apart for me, I completely pulled back, having no contact with her at all. A high pitched whine came out of her as she frowned before opening her eyes to look at me. I was grinning at her. Those eyes narrowed as she realized that I'd done it on purpose.

"That was mean, Jacob," she panted.

"Sorry, but I didn't want you come like that." When she gave me a questioning look, I crawled back up her body, positioning myself before planting my hands on either side of her head. "I want you to come like this." And I thrust into her in one smooth stroke.

That was all she needed. Her nails ripped into my biceps as her upper body arched, a scream of bliss leaving her mouth. I stayed where I was as her body clasped onto mine, locking me where I was. Taking deep breaths, I forced myself not to orgasm, just watch her. Though I didn't orgasm, my body jerked inside hers, prolonging her pleasure.

Eventually, she stilled, breathing hard. Her forehead rested against my wrist as she calmed. Leaning down, I kissed her temple, and slowly, pulled out. She trembled, almost convulsing. Tonight was going to be slow. No pounding. No rough stuff, except her nails in my skin, which she couldn't help.

So, slowly, I made love to her. A grin spread her lips when she opened her eyes. Leaning up on her elbows, she kissed under my chin and all the way down my chest as far as she could go. Her tongue danced around my nipples, then her teeth were added to the mix. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stay slow. the pressure was already building with each stroke, her inner walls clenching and unclenching around me.

Sweat trickled over both of us as we fought our bodies for the rhythm we both wanted. My arms stung from where my wife's nails had shredded skin. And I loved every bite. Planting a hand in the center of her chest, I tried to get her lie down. She resisted just long enough to shed the bra. As gorgeous as it was against her skin, I was happy to see it go. Immediately, my hand moved so that I could stroke my thumb over a nipple. Her eyes closed again while her teeth worried at her lower lip. I needed to show her the same attention she'd just shown me even though I was trying to keep my hips at a steady rhythm, pumping in and out of her. The pressure was getting tighter, especially when I leaned down to continue my exploration of the column of her neck and expanse of her now bare chest. I also deepened the mark on her chest. It had started to fade after having not been gone over since over a week ago. Her nipples were hard as diamonds as they abraded my chest with her breathing. Leaning over them, I sucked one and then the other into my mouth. Her fingers dug into my hair, scratching my scalp, to keep me closer, where she wanted me.

She made little mewling noises as my hips lost their rhythm, giving her two quick, sharp thrusts. She was close, so close, as I roamed my hands over her body, luxuriating in the feel of her silky skin. My tongue was all about tasting that sweetness, rolling it around my mouth, soothing it down my throat. I was the only man who would ever taste her like this. Sweat sweetened by her. A delicious mix of salt and sugar. Mint and honey.

"Jacob," he moaned.

My back was tightening up, lower stomach quivering. The part of me inside her kept jerking. The twin weights below were cinched up tight. My breathing was steadily getting uneven as my body prepared for explosion.

"Jacob, please."

I knew she was asking to finish, to feel those electric shocks over her body. Since I couldn't deny her anything, I pushed both of us to the edge by placing my thumb over her sweet spot and speeding up my thrusts. They were still gentle, just faster.

Nessie's breathing picked up, her eyes closing again while her nails moved down to where my neck met my shoulders. They dug in painfully, but all I felt was pleasure, a shot of it straight down my spine into my erection.

"Almost," she whispered.

For no reason that I could think of, I buried my hands under her and sat back on my knees, never breaking our connection. The angle inside her became deeper, and she shouted out, wrapping her arms around my neck as I moved her hips around me. Eventually, she managed to find a rhythm of her own, swinging over me while I continued my thrusts. My lower back tightened even more, making me cry out.

Reaching between us, Nessie stroked me on my pull-out stroke. And that was all she wrote. My hips slammed into hers just once as I came. I managed to think enough to press my thumb into her sweet spot. She screamed a moment later, her body tightening around mine, gripping me, milking me. My body was happy to oblige her needs, feeding her what she wanted pulse after pulse. It seemed like we had stayed that way for hours, just looping each other's orgasms.

Her head flung back and my hand immediately snapped up to dig into her hair, cradling her. She let out a ragged moan, nails shredding my shoulders as she started up on her third? orgasm. Her pleasure fueled mine, my body tightening up again. Her body siphoned from me everything I had to give. And I let it.

I'd always give her what she needed. Always.

**RPOV**

I was a shaky puddle of bones and skin as Jacob leaned sideways, laying us down. Both of us were too exhausted, too spent, to try to get us under the covers. That definitely meant that neither of us could walk to the bathroom for a washcloth to clean us up with before getting on the clean sheets.

"Holy...shit," Jacob panted out.

I could only nod. My throat was hoarse from all the noises I'd made. But this, by far, was the best sex we'd ever had. The build up had been slow and excruciating, adding to the anticipation. And knowing it was deliberate on Jacob's part made it hot as hell.

I felt his lips against my temple. "I completely agree. Hottest sex ever."

Chuckling, I realized my mental block was down. It had become a reflex to let it down around him ever since the first time we'd made love and he'd told me he hated it when I blocked myself from him. So I didn't do it anymore except for when we were out in public. I didn't want to accidentally brush against someone.

Opening my eyes, I found Jacob watching me with a small grin.

"What?" I asked with my own smile.

He moved some of my hair out of my face. "I was just thinking that I'm the only man that will ever get to see you like this. And you're the only woman that could ever make me feel the way I do right now."

"And how do you feel right now?" I asked around a grin.

"Completely satiated yet completely craving at the same time." He kissed my forehead. "Now, let me go get something to clean us up with."

Turning away from me, he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

I raised my eyebrows. "You can walk? So soon?"

Grinning at me over his shoulder, he stood up, gripping the bed post for balance. "You need sleep. The only way you'll sleep is under the covers, and you won't do that until you're not as...covered in stuff. So I'm getting what you need so you can sleep."

Sighing with a grin, I snuggled down into the pillows. He stumbled his way into the bathroom door.

"Careful," I said.

Our grins just tossed back and forth. "I'll be alright."

He ducked into the bathroom. The water turned on then off. A moment later, he was back in the bed, gently easing my legs apart. He cleaned me up as best he could. I couldn't help the jerks in my body as he stroked over the most sensitive part of me. I'd still need a shower and the sheets washed because what he'd pumped into me hadn't come out yet. It wouldn't for a while without help, and I wasn't in the mood to do a little jig. I didn't have the energy.

Jacob cleaned himself up with little hisses as if he were sensitive, too. He probably was with how many times he'd come.

Soon enough, the washcloth was thrown to the floor. Jacob managed one more trip out of bed to put more wood on the fire before crawling back in bed. I wiggled under the covers, body relaxing into the soft mattress. Jacob curled around me, pulling me into the cradle of his body.

Again, he kissed my temple as we drifted off. "Best consummation I could have ever asked for."

"Mmmm," I murmured, cuddling into the warmth of his chest.

Outside, the wind whistled and blew rustling leaves around the cabin.

Perfect was an understatement, but since I didn't have another word, it would do for now.

**The Next Day**

**RPOV**

We had to rush for our flight. Sleeping in for five more minutes had turned into an hour. We'd taken a quick shower together, forcing ourselves to be good. We'd practically run into the airport. Luckily, we managed to make it through security and bag check in record time. When we got our tickets, they were for Hawaii.

Jacob and I had grinned at each other. Warmth.

Now, we were sitting in our seats, breathing easy because we'd made it. Right before take-off, Aunt Alice had called to make sure we'd managed to get here in time. Jacob made our assurances. She'd then said that there would be a private car waiting for us at the airport to take us to our little slice of heaven. Her words, not mine. Well, if that wasn't food for thought. Now we were wondering what she'd planned.

Jacob and I shared a kiss as the plane took off.

"Ugh, you rich married couples make sick. Hawaii?"

Spinning around in my seat, I found the psychic grinning at me. Jacob and I shared an incredulous look.

"What are you-?" I looked around and lowered my voice. "Are you following us?"

Her eyes widened as she put a hand to her chest and rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease.I'm insulted."

"So you're not following us."

She grinned. "I didn't say that, sweet cakes."

"Then what do you want?" Jacob asked.

The girl looked to him. "Easy there, Kujo. I'm not a threat to you." She turned back to me with a grin. "Nice sex hair, by the way. Finally broke in the marriage bed, huh? Figuratively speaking, of course."

Jacob gnashed his teeth. Blushing, I jumped in, ignoring her last comments. "Then what do you want with us? I mean, why are you having visions of us?"

"Because she wants something."

Looking over, I found a guy sitting next to her. He was of average build, human, and wore glasses. His brown hair was bed-head messy, not intentionally done that way. More like he just rolled out of bed and didn't care. His green eyes were absorbed over what looked like a map.

We were in the air, so Jacob unhooked his belt to turn, too. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The guy looked up with raised eyebrows. "Lower your hackles, Pongo. I'm with her." He jerked his head to the girl.

"What's your name?" I asked the girl.

She grinned. "Brigette. But everyone calls me Cricket."

"Why?"

"Because if she's talking and someone uninvited gets too close, she shuts up," the guy said, going back to his map after sharing a glare with Jacob.

"That's Trey. A very protective friend."

He shot a glare at her. "_Boy_friend. I'm her boyfriend." His glare went back to Jacob. "So, watch yourself."

Jacob smirked with an eyebrow raised. Then he lifted his hand with his wedding band on it. "I'm married, dude. And frankly, your girl freaks me out. Besides, I knew she was yours the moment I snapped at her." He tapped his nose so he wouldn't have to explain out loud. We all understood.

Shaking my head, I tried to get us back on track. "What did he mean when he said you wanted something."

She shot him a look. "Because genius-boy over there said something, I guess I have to tell you. The way my visions work is when my heart truly desires something, I get a vision of a starting point. Once I find what my vision was, I get another one. They're like breadcrumbs, leading me directly to what I desire. That's how I ended up with that." She jerked her head to Trey again and then shrugged. "I wanted true love, something real and normal. All my life I've been the freak. I just wanted a normal person to love me. All my visions led me to him."

Trey looked up, green eyes shining, his lips turned up in a sweet smile. Reaching over, he gripped her fingers and kissed them. I smiled dreamily. They were cute together, perfectly snappy and witty.

"So, what can Jacob and I do for you?"

Cricket leaned back, curling into Trey's side while he went back to studying the map. Distractedly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Nothing. Just keep doing what you're doing. Be yourselves. I'll get another vision."

Jacob's eyes narrowed. "So you are following us."

She shrugged again. Her expression said she didn't like having to stalk people, but that she couldn't help it. "Hey, I can't stop my heart from wanting something. Sometimes, when I'm truly content, I don't get visions at all, not even a glimpse, like after I found Trey. But when a thought comes to me, and my heart grabs onto that thought, wanting it, I have to go after it. I've tried to ignore them."

"What happened?" I asked.

"With my visions, I get specific times and places, where I need to be. If I miss that time at that place, then I just get another vision telling me where to go. I can't turn it off."

The next obvious question was too personal, but...she was following us. We had a right to know.

"So, what are you looking for?"

For a few minutes, all she did was stare at me. Her blue-purple eyes studied me, measuring me. I didn't think she was going to answer. And then, "Answers."

Before Jacob or I could ask, she cuddled closer to Trey and closed her eyes. It was a clear signal that she was done talking. Trey gave me a sympathetic glance.

"Sorry. She does that. It's not like she wants you afraid of us or anything. In fact, we didn't think you'd end up sitting in front of us. We'd planned to stay out of your line of sight since the moment she ran into you."

I nodded, thinking back to yesterday. "She said she shouldn't have said anything to us at all, that she had rules."

It was his turn to nod. "She made rules for herself to never get involved with the people or things that led her to her end game. For some reason, she just spilled with the two of you."

"Is that a map of Washington?" Jacob interrupted. "Specifically Forks?"

Trey cleared his throat and folded the paper one handed. "That's where Crick first thought we were going, but at the last second she saw Hawaii. Look, we are following you there, but we won't intervene in anything. She just wants to see where you lead her. This...interacting has never happened before, so we're both kind of embarrassed about it. And that's why she doesn't do it. It freaks people out."

Jacob and I shared a look as Trey kissed the top of her head.

Jacob cleared his throat. "Look, you know who and…what we are. We know something about 'freaks', alright. But we have enemies, so just, stay as low as you can if you have to follow us home." His gaze went to the sleeping Cricket. "Everybody deserves to get what they truly desire, and she said herself that she just wants answers. I can handle that, but our territory isn't safe." He looked at me. I smiled back, so in love with his compassion. "Ness and I will help you if we can. If not, we might know some people who will. Our family is filled with all kinds of interesting people depending on what questions she has."

Trey nodded. "Thank you. All she wants is a place to fit in, or at least some friends other than me. I'm all she's got." With that, he rested his cheek on her head and closed his eyes.

Jacob and I turned back around, his arm slipping around my shoulders. Both of us were lost in what we'd just heard. Poor Cricket. At least she had Trey. But what must life have been like for her before she found him? Terrible more than likely. I shuddered with the thought of that girl getting ridiculed, called a liar or crazy every day. It was no wonder she chose to keep her distance.

Jacob's grip tightened around me, his lips in my hair. "We'll do what we can for them. I promise."

And that's what I loved about my husband. He could never turn someone away who needed help, especially the type of help that could only be given by certain type of people that didn't include a psychiatric ward and doctors trying to tell them they were crazy. Though neither of us really knew what it was like not to fit in, we were more than aware of what life could have thrown at us had things been different.

It was a long flight, and we hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Jacob had woken me up twice, wanting to make love. The first time had been slow and glorious. The second, a little rougher, the wolf peeking out through Jacob's dark eyes. But it had been lovingly and beautiful. Needless to say, though, we were both exhausted. The adrenaline from rushing onto the plane had subsided.

Cuddling in close to my husband like Cricket had done with Trey, we both fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

**A few hours later**

Jacob and I stepped off the plane with Cricket and Trey behind us. After grabbing our luggage, we said our goodbyes, Jacob shaking Trey'd hand, and split up. There was a guy holding a sign that said "The Blacks". Jacob and I shared a glance before walking over. He grinned at us.

"Aloha. Welcome to Hawaii, Mr. and Mrs. Black. My name is Gage and I am going to be your guide should you choose to leave your grotto."

"Grotto?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes. Mrs. Hale was very specific. You two are to have the most private land on the island. You shall also be provided with anything you need. All that's need to be done is to call upon me."

Reaching forward, he took my bags from me. Jacob wouldn't let him take the ones he carried. The man, who seemed to be in his late sixties, frowned but didn't fight it.

"If you would please follow me. I have a car waiting."

The moment I stepped outside, the sun speared into me, heat soaking into my skin. It was as if I'd always been cold, as if there were two suns. The one at home that never gave off warmth, and the one here soaked into my soul. Once Gage got all our luggage in the back of a very nice SUV, not letting Jacob help, we climbed into the back. I was reluctant to let the sun go, but Jacob promised I'd get it back, and that I could roll the windows down. It no longer surprised me that Rebecca had chosen to live here.

"So, tell us about this grotto," Jacob said, his arm going across the back of the seat behind me while I half hung out the window. He shook his head at me with a chuckle. "How private is 'private'?"

Gage smiled at us in the rearview mirror. "Oh, very private, sir. All manner of v.i.p's stay there when they need a retreat from their businesses. On those occasions, that part of the island is blocked off from the public. Only I, other than the police and emergency, will be available to you unless you wish."

"Why is it so popular?" I asked.

"Ah, now that's the question, miss. There is a secret beach. It's only been around for the last fifty years or so. The island natives have kept it secret so that it's not disturbed by tourists. It's still very fragile. Also, we ask that any photographs you take stay private."

I smiled at him. "Absolutely. That won't be a problem. The wonders of the world need to be protected. So many people take them for granted."

"I very much agree, Mrs. Black." His eyes went to Jacob. "You sure caught yourself a good one, Mr. Black. If you don't mind me saying, sir."

Jacob's arm tightened around me as he grinned. "I can't argue with that, Gage. Not at all. But in all actuality, she caught me."

"That's the best way," Gage said.

The three of us chatted all the way there. Before I knew it, the car stopped after an incline that lasted forever. At least it wasn't steep. When I stepped out of the vehicle, there was a small...cottage. It was kind of like the cabin, but there was more glass than wood. And it was much smaller than I expected. Not too small. Maybe three bedrooms. But I'd expected something huge and expensive-looking. Nothing this cozy.

"There is a path behind the cottage that leads down to the secret beach. It is yours until the end of the month."

"The end of October?"

"Um, no, miss. November."

I looked to Jacob. "We have this place for a month?"

Jacob looked at the cottage, then down to the beach of the Pacific. We had access to two beaches.

"Thank you, Alice," Jacob whispered before pulling me into a kiss.

We tried to get Gage to stay for dinner, but he was adamant about letting us have our honeymoon to ourselves after he'd put our luggage in the room.

After he pulled off, waving, I stood out in front of the cottage, eyes closed, head back, and soaked in the warmth. A moment later, I felt Jacob's arms wrap around me. He kissed my neck just under my jaw.

"What do you wanna do first?"

"This," I replied.

He chuckled. "Why don't you go change into something less warm, then we can go play in the water."

"You know," I said, placing my arms over his. "I did wonder why there was summery stuff in my suitcase. And bathing suits."

"Alice packed you bathing suits, huh?"

"Mhm."

"Mmmm," he said into my ear. "Go put one on for me."

I giggled, his breath tickling my ear. "Aunt Alice packed you some trunks."

"Did she now?"

"Mhm. If I have to wear one, so do you."

"Aww, I thought I'd just run around naked."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then I supposed I will, too."

He growled. "Well, now that I think about it. As much as I'd love that, this place may not be as private as we think."

"That's what I thought."

Together, we went inside. I took my bag into the closet to dig through it. There were several bikinis, one one-piece that had cut-outs, and severall barely-there's that didn't count.

I picked a navy blue halter. I'd never worn a bikini before, but it was like wearing my underwear, only more stylish. The halter lifted and squished my breasts together. As if they needed it.

When I walked into the bedroom, Jacob was in a pair of white trunks that went down to his knees. The white was bright against his permanent dark-tanned skin. He cat-called at me.

He put his hands on my hips. "You know, I might just get jealous of all the fish that get to look at you."

"Oh, shut up."

Chuckling, he took my hand and led me out the door. There was a path that went from the bedroom's sliding glass door down to the beach. Not the secret one, but the now-private one. This beach was very different than First Beach. First Beach had a bunch of pebbles, not much sand. The moment my toes hit the hot sand, I squealed. Jacob laughed as I grinned, digging my toes into the grainy substance. I wiggled my toes, feeling the sand seep between them.

"You're like the Little Mermaid," he said.

"I love this! No wonder Rebecca came here."

"Come on. Let's get in the water. It'll feel amazing."

"How do you know?"

"A long time ago, I went with my dad to California. The beach was my favorite part. The sand, the heat, the colors. But mostly, the water. It was so warm. This water is much clearer, though." He took my hand. "Come on."

He pulled me down to the edge of the water.

"Here, just stand here. Let the water wash up over your legs to get used to it. Sometimes it's cold."

It took a minute for the waves to come up to us, but eventually, they crashed over my feet. Warm. Not cold. Throwing a grin to Jacob, I ran out into the water. It was so clear I could see my feet. Small fish darted here and there around me. I dug my toes into the sand again, letting the waves push me back and forth.

I heard Jacob come up behind me. He stroked the back of his fingers up my arm. "So gorgeous. Your skin glows out here."

Turning in his arms, I tried to go up on my tiptoes, but sank in the sand a little. Jacob's hands gripped my hips to pull me up his body. We shared a deep, dizzying kiss, his hand fisted in my hair. It took a long moment to realize that he was walking further out. I figured it out when my hair started to stick to my skin from being wet. We both came up for air, foreheads resting against the other.

A heartbeat later, he grinned, wide and mischievous.

"Jacob?"

And then he tossed me. I squealed in the air before taking a deep breath and holding my nose. The warm water engulfed me, blanketing me. Coming up for air, my toes barely touched the bottom. My hair floated out around me. Turning around, I leaned back to float on my back.

I could totally get used to this for a while.

Until I felt arms wrap around my middle from underneath. Jacob pulled me under and then kissed me under the water. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and he stood up. The moment our heads broke the surface, we pulled apart, gasping, blinking water out of our eyes. His hair was plastered to his face. My heavy hair wrapped around us, caught on his shoulders.

"I love you, Mrs. Black. I couldn't ask for a better honeymoon."

Giggling -I seemed to be doing that a lot-I kissed his lips. "I love you, too, Mr. Black. I couldn't ask for a better husband to spend it with."

For hours, we played out in the sun and sand. I collected all sorts of shells. We even saw dolphins. They'd come in close and swam around us, chattering happily. Once the excitement outside had tired me out, Jacob had made us dinner. I'd been teaching him how to cook something other than spaghetti. He'd grilled some chicken marinated in Italian dressing, mashed potatoes, and some seasoned rice.

That night, we made love on the most comfortable king-sized bed I'd ever laid on. I'd actually sank into it when Jacob had tossed me on it. The pillows were downy soft. Like laying on a cloud.

The bed had some sort of netting on it. Jacob guessed it had something to do with if we wanted to sleep with the door opened. When I'd gotten excited about that, he'd managed to get out of bed, on shaky legs, and pulled the netting all the way around the bed and opened the door.

He made love to me once more before we both curled around each other to fall asleep to the sounds of the waves breaking across the beach.

* * *

**I really don't think I need to say anything. I'm just blissfully happy with this chapter. By the way, I know nothing of Hawaii, so don't shoot me if I got anything wrong. Still, please review?! I loves them so much. As I love all of you who stick with me! xoxoxoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3! Soooo, I'm pretty sure ****_none_**** of you are expecting this chapter. But you know what? I ****_ADORE_**** this chapter! So many feels. So I am not gonna chat anymore. Just enjoy it. Also, just remember...I have no idea how any of this works. (You'll understand).**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**JPOV**

Nessie and I had just finished lunch when she went to check our turned-off phones. Seth had ordered me to the last time we'd spoken, telling me he had everything handled and that I needed to relax. It had been two weeks since we'd flown into Hawaii. Ness and I had played, relaxed, and played some more. We'd done the tourist thing, going into the shops, eating seafood, and trying new things. Now, we were just going to spend our last week or so relaxing, lazing around the cottage, watching movies, playing games, hunting, or going to one of the two beaches we had access to. Ness had taken her camera wherever she went as well as a large beach bag that she could stash shells in. She said she was already planning a huge art project, kind of like her picture wall she'd had at the big Cullen house before we'd moved into the cabin.

Now, she walked back into the living room with a frown and the my phone pressed to her ear. "What about her?" she asked. "Hold on. I'm going to put you on speakerphone. Jacob's here."

I sat up in the plush chair I was sitting in.

"Jacob?"

I surprised to hear Seth's voice. "Hey, Seth. What's going on?"

"It's about time one of you answered your phone. Damn. Seriously." He sounded like he was worried and angry and, surprisingly, scared.

"Uh, you told me to turn off our phones, man. But forget that. What's happening?"

It sounded like he blew a breath into the phone. "Man, it's Shelby, Jake."

"What happened?"

"She went into labor."

"What?!" Ness and I said at the same time. I stood up to go stand with Ness, both of us staring at the phone, and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"What do you mean she went into labor, Seth? She wasn't growing that fast." Nessie's voice was high-pitched and frightened. I tightened my hold on her.

He growled over the phone. "Yeah, well, apparently, the baby decided it wanted out. She started flaring up a day or two after you guys left. Carlisle's scared of the premature factor, but we won't know until the baby arrives. There is no stopping the labor."

"How's Shelby doing, man?"

There was a pause. And then, "Scared. She's terrified something will be wrong with the baby. She wants Carlisle to do a C-section but he thinks a natural birth would be better. She's allowing it. But…"

"But?" Ness urged.

"She wants you here, Ness. She's been calling out for you."

Nessie looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

I took the phone from her. "Hang tight, Seth. Ness and I are getting on the next plane out of here. Tell Alice-"

"She said she just booked the tickets. The flight's in forty-five minutes. Are you sure, Jake? You're on your honeymoon."

"Shut up, man. It's not like we can't come back. This is your mate and child we're talking about. We'll be on that flight."

"Thanks, Jacob." He sounded relieved, and like he might cry.

"Hang in there, Seth. Everything's going to be fine. Just stay with her. She needs you now more than ever, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. I gotta get back in there. See you when you get here."

"Absolutely, my man."

We hung up. Nessie had already dashed into the room to pack. When I walked in, she blurred around me, tapping into her vamp side. While she did that, knowing she would work faster without me in the way, I called Gage and told him what was going on. He'd been in the car. I knew that because I heard the engine growl as he'd stepped on the gas. Within five minutes, our bags were packed and sitting outside. Gage squealed to a stop in front of us. I told him to stay in the car while I threw our bags in the back. As soon as I was in the car, he stepped on the gas and didn't let up until we stopped in front of the airport. He ran with us, carrying some of our bags while we got our tickets and went through security. As we were waiting to board, I looked at him with a smile and nod. He tipped his hat at us before disappearing into the crowd. Remembering, I looked around for Cricket and Trey, but there were too many people to sort through.

Nessie's hand gripped mine. I squeezed back looking down at her.

I lifted her hand to my lips. "It's going to be okay. Shelby's gonna be fine, alright? She's tough. And any kid of hers is gonna be the same. That baby's gonna fight, ok?"

"Oh, Jacob," she sobbed, burying her face into my side.

Finally, we boarded the plane and I tucked her into my side. It was going to be a long flight to Seattle, then a short flight to Port Angeles, and then an hour or so of driving. Once we were in the air, I received a text. Alice saying Jasper would be at the airport, waiting. Ok, I amended in my head, less than an hour of driving. A Cullen, or Hale, behind the wheel of a car would make NASCAR jealous.

Eventually, Nessie cried herself to sleep, but the lines around her eyes and mouth were still tight with worry. I stroked her hair until it loosened up a bit. There was no way I could sleep.

Instead, I just looked out the window and watched the clouds pass by, worried about my pack brother and his family.

**A few hours and car drive later.**

**RPOV**

Without even waiting for the car to come to a stop, I threw the door open, jumped out, and flew for the house. Before I even got to the front door, I heard an agonized scream. The pack was gathered around the house in both human and wolf form. There were more inside as I burst through the door. Mom met me at the bottom of the stairs.

"How is she?" I panted.

Mom stroked my hair and pulled me into a hug. "Exhausted and scared, but your presence will help. Go on. We'll say hello later."

"Nessie Carlie Black! I can hear you! Get your skinny little ass up here!" And then she screamed again.

I rushed up the stairs, unsure whether or not my feet actually touched the wood. Out in the hall, Dad was leaning against the wall, a frown marring his features. I didn't stop to ask why he was in the hall. I didn't really care at that moment.

Shelby screamed again as I flung the door open. "I'm here. I'm here."

"Wash up, Ness," Carlisle called.

Instantly, I went to the sink he'd had Uncle Emmett install and scrubbed up the way he'd told me. Seth was there to put the gown around me. I offered him a smile, but he was too worried to reciprocate.

"I'm really sorry, Ness."

"Don't be. I'd rather be here right now, ok?"

Shelby screamed again, and we both rushed to her side. Her grip on my fingers nearly had_ me_ screaming. She was soaked with sweat, hair matted to her face and neck. Her emerald green eyes were pain and tear-filled. But most of all, her breathing was off with worry and fear.

"Shelby, remember the breathing we talked about?" I asked stroking her hair behind her ears. The hospital bed was raised up so she could recline, her legs raised in stirrups. A paper sheet was draped over her knees. Carlisle was dressed just as a doctor should be who was delivering a baby. Hair and mouth covered, gloves on his hands.

Gritting her teeth, she nodded. "Do it with me. Please."

I nodded. "Ok, but first...Carlisle, how are we doing?"

He glanced at me before his eyes went back to under the sheet. "I want to say about three more big pushes. The baby's head is starting to crown."

I met Shelby's eyes. "You hear that?" And then I looked at Seth. Shelby had gripped his hand, too, using us a leverage. I totally didn't mind. "Alright, Shelby. Eyes on me. Let's breathe, ok."

I started with the deep, slow breaths before going into the birthing breaths she and I had both learned over the internet. She hadn't wanted to go to the classes, so we'd researched on YouTube. Carlisle had taught me all about the procedures for labor because he thought that if I were in the room, I'd be the only sane one there. Seth and Shelby would be too worried to remember anything. And Carlisle knew Shelby well enough to know that she'd want me in the room.

"Alright, Shelby. On the count of three, I need a big push. As big as you can. Ok, one...two...three, push!"

Shelby's grip tightened on my fingers, nearly to breaking, as she gritted her teeth and pushed. When she got her breath back, she screamed and fell against the pillow. Carlisle looked up to me with a nod.

"Good, Shelby," I soothed. "You're doing great."

"Whenever you're ready, Shelby, we'll go for another, ok? Just say when. The faster we get this baby out, the sooner I can help, and the sooner the pain stops."

"Has she had any pain meds?"

"No!" Shelby screamed.

"She doesn't want them to hurt the baby," Seth said.

I gritted my own teeth against her stubbornness. "Shelby, come on. Just two more pushes."

Nodding, she sat up. "Carlisle."

"Count of three. One...two...three, push."

She inhaled deeply and pushed for the second time. This time it didn't turn into a scream. She just fell back against the bed, breathing hard. Once that calmed, I started breathing with her again. Seth stroked her hair out of her face, muttering to her, holding her hand.

"You're doing good, baby. I'm right here, ok?"

"Don't go anywhere," she whispered against his lips.

"I'm not. There's nowhere else I want to be."

Her eyes closed as if she were exhausted. I couldn't blame her. I wasn't the one having the baby and I was exhausted.

"Ok, I've got the head," Carlisle said. "Just one more push, Shelby. One more. That's all I need."

Gathering her courage, she sat up one more time. Seth and I helped to keep her up by putting our free hands at her back.

"One...two...three, push, Shelby!"

Two deep breaths and Shelby let out a scream as she pushed.

I could tell the baby was out when she collapsed against us and Carlisle started doing whatever he needed to do after the birth.

"Edward, get in here and check her while I check the baby."

Dad darted in, pushing me and Seth back as he went over Shelby's vitals. None of the monitors had gone off but a vampire could tell if anything was about to go amiss before the machines did. He'd also started to clean Shelby up and the area around her.

I went to stand next to Seth, taking his hand. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jacob in the hallway. Somehow I'd known he'd be there.

A loud screeching brought my attention back to the room. Shelby tiredly scooted herself up onto the bed with Dad's help. Carlisle grinned as he turned around with a wrapped up bundle in his arms. Seth stepped up to the bed next to Shelby, who held out her arms.

"I am very happy to present to you an extremely healthy, and beautiful, baby boy."

Seth and Shelby laughed in the way that told me they were relieved and happy and wanted to cry all at the same time.

Carlisle placed the baby in Shelby's arms, and she started to cry with her son. Seth stroked his son's face and Shelby's hair, kissing her forehead.

"Hello, Brayden," Shelby whispered.

Shrugging out of the gown, with happy tears, I walked out into the hallway. Jacob engulfed me in his arms, holding me tight.

"How is she?"

"Fine, now that he's here and safe. Though I bet she'll take the painkillers now."

He laughed, the rumble against my cheek comforting. For a while, we just held each other as noises and voices drifted out into the hall. They were changing Shelby's clothes and the bed sheets so that she could sleep in there just in case something happened.

"You did well in there, Nessie."

Carlisle's voice had me turning around but keeping Jacob's arms around me. I shrugged. "I just remembered what you taught me."

"Still, I was getting rather frustrated with her. Concentrating on the breathing helped. I just think Seth was lost. But you were a natural in there."

I smiled back at him when Shelby called for us.

"Ness, Jake, get in here."

We both chuckled as we walked in. Seth was holding Brayden, just staring at his son's little face. One tiny hand was wrapped around Seth's pinky.

"How ya doin', Shelbs?" Jacob asked as he sat on the side of the bed. He leaned over to hug her. They'd managed to get her into a plush robe.

"Tired, but happy. That little guy put up a hell of a fight."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Jacob joked.

Shelby just smiled at him before her eyes went back to her baby boy and his father.

"I'm a dad," Seth said in wonder.

"Congrats, man. He's beautiful."

A moment later, little Brayden started to yell again.

"He's probably hungry," Carlisle said from the doorway. "How do you plan to feed him?"

Shelby frowned, thinking about it. "I think I'll try breastfeeding first."

Carlisle nodded. "It is healthiest."

"Well, I think Ness and I will leave you to it. You guys need some time alone. We'll go let the others know that everything's ok."

Jacob stood up and hugged Seth after the baby was safely transferred to Shelby's arms. "You're going to be great, Seth."

"Thanks. And thanks again for ruining your honeymoon to get here."

Jacob and I shared a look. Finally, Jacob shook his head. "Are you kidding, man? This was the best wedding present ever. A new addition to the family? I will take that over secret beaches any damn day."

Seth held out his hand. "He's your nephew, Jake. You've always been my big brother."

Jacob clapped his hand to Seth's forearm. "Brothers. Always."

And then we left to go let the others know that everything was truly okay. My want for a family became so much stronger, even though I wasn't looking forward to the labor. But the moment when Brayden had been placed in Shelby's arms looked as if all that pain was more than worth it. The feeling of your child safely in your arms had to be worth any amount of pain as long as they were okay.

**ShelbyPOV**

After I'd positioned my son where he needed to be, he did the rest, latching on and sucking. Seth sat down beside me on the bed, his lips against my sweat-soaked hair.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like my body's been ripped apart, but honestly, I wouldn't change it for the world." I looked up at him, grinning tiredly. "We have a son, Seth. A baby boy."

He stroked my hair. "I'm so proud of you, baby."

Before I could answer, there was a loud roar of cheers from downstairs. We laughed as the wolves went crazy with howls. The pack had to have heard Carlisle when he'd said Brayden was healthy, but hearing it from Nessie and Jacob, the alpha couple, completely verified it. No doubt those that weren't on patrol would be partying all night. I'd smelled so many types of foods cooking all day. Either Esme had been a nervous wreck since I'd gone into labor at two this morning, or she was preparing for a birthday bash. Probably both, I decided.

In my arms, Brayden released me and smacked his lips.

I laughed. "Just like his dad."

"Hey," Seth said with a chuckle.

Seth leaned forward to brush his finger over our son's cheek. "You're gonna be a boatload of trouble, aren't you, Bray?"

Brayden yawned and smacked his lips again. One little hand reached up to grip Seth's finger.

"Of course he will be," I said. "He's_ our_ son." There really was no way I could stop saying that. While I'd been pregnant, he hadn't been real, just an 'it'. But now that he was here, in my arms, he was very real. And very much my son. I knew I'd do anything to protect him, no matter the cost.

There was a knock on the door and I pulled myself back together, putting everything away, before Seth called out. When the door opened, my dad poked his head in.

"Hey. I know you're tired, but I wanted to check on you, if that's alright."

I smiled at him. "Absolutely. Come meet your grandson."

Before taking Brayden, he shook hands with Seth. "You're officially family now."

"I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't going anywhere."

They did their manly hug and backslap, and then my dad was holding his grandson. He rocked him, eyes softening. Gripping that tiny hand, he said, "Your dad better teach you about cars and football or we'll have issues."

We all laughed.

Seth put his arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry. I plan to. Besides, if I slip up, you're first on the list to take the job."

Dad smiled down at my now dozing son. "You hear that? Let's hope he slips up in at least one of those areas." He looked up at us. "He's beautiful, you two." Then he looked back down. "You picked some good ones, you know that?"

Seth grinned down at me and then kissed my forehead.

"Well, I know you two are tired and have some other visitors waiting in the hall. I'll see you later, baby girl, ok?" He handed Brayden to Seth before leaning in to kiss my forehead.

"Love you, Daddy."

"Love you, too, princess."

And then he was gone. "They're all yours," he said to whoever was outside.

A moment later, Leah came squealing into the room with her mother, Sue. Caden and Charlie shook their heads with identical grins.

"Are you up for all of us, Shelby?" Charlie asked.

I played it off. "Meh, I just spent-wait, what time is it?"

Charlie checked his watch. "Midnight."

I did quick math, and it made me tired. "I just spent ten hours in labor. I'm pretty sure I can handle some excited relatives. Besides, you're here for my kid. If I pass out, nobody cares."

Leah watched on as Sue rocked Brayden. "He's so...so...cute. And squishy. And pudgy."

I couldn't help but laugh, and it hurt my lower body. "That's what babies are, Leah."

"I've never been excited about kids. Don't get me wrong, I love Leila, but this one's my true-blooded nephew!"

She threw herself onto Seth before Charlie or Caden could get their hand shake/back slap in.

"I love you so much, little brother. And I'm glad everything worked out ok."

He hugged her back. "Love you, too, Leah. But you're cutting off my oxygen."

"Sorry!" She pulled back quickly. "Can I hold him?"

Seth smirked. "What am I gonna say? No? Come on, Leah. He's my son, your family. Of course you can."

"Feels good to say that, doesn't it?" Caden asked, offering his hand.

Seth took it, and they did the bro-hug. "Weird as hell, but good. I honestly never thought I'd be a dad, but this is amazing."

"Nothing quite like it," Caden said in a wistful tone.

Immediately the room layered in sadness and sympathy.

"I'm sorry, man," Seth said.

Caden shook his head and smiled at Brayden. "Don't be. I miss my son very much. But I hold onto the hope that I'll someday avenge him, and Alora."

Seth clapped him on the shoulder. "After this mess with Tristan is over, I'll personally help you find the bastard that did it. I swear it. It's the least I could do. You've saved me and my family by helping us."

"Thank you. That means a lot. But first, Leah and I have to leave. Soon. No doubt Tristan is also gathering other packs to his aid. We should have gone a while ago, but decided to stay when the baby started growing faster."

"Well, then, thank _you_ for staying. It means a lot to both of us."

"I have a question," I said, interrupting them.

Caden arched that brow at me. "Yes, luv?"

And then I thought of something else. "Ok, two questions. Will I shift now? And what about Brayden?"

As all eyes went to him, Caden sighed. Brayden was reluctantly passed on to Charlie.

"Both of those are difficult to answer. I suspect that you will shift eventually. Maybe not with this coming full moon or the one after, but eventually. Once the pregnancy hormones get out of your system. Your wolf is very dominant in your mindset, especially since you now have a son. That's a big deal. And speaking of Brayden, he comes from two different types of werewolves. There's no telling which gene will be dominant. But I can say that no matter which way it goes, he won't shift or phase for years. I've been told that the wolves of La Push didn't phase until their late teens. With our type of wolf, the pup won't shift until around ten or eleven. So never fear. I think you have time with him before his world gets weirder."

That eased me a little. I at least wanted to get shifting down before my son did. Even though Seth was also a werewolf, Brayden could be my type. Maybe a mix of both. Who knew.

Out of everybody that had held Brayden, Caden was the most careful. But then again, he was the godfather. I was almost sure that he'd never expected to be affiliated with the word "father" again whether it was daddy genes or legal means.

"Hallo, Brayden. I guess you and I are going to be spending some time together. I have a responsibility now, I suppose." He pulled Brayden close. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your mum. We'll get her sorted long before you're running on all fours."

Ok, my heart melted a little...oh, alright, I was close to tears. Dammit.

A throat cleared from behind everyone. They all turned. Carlisle was standing there.

"I'm sorry, guys, but I would like the new mother to get some rest. She's been through a lot today. I'm sure she's tired." He smiled. "Don't worry. Shelby and Brayden will be here tomorrow."

Everybody said their goodbyes before filing out, giving last waves and smiles. I collapsed against the bed while Seth walked around with Brayden. Carlisle came over, watching the monitors.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I could use that pain medication now."

He chuckled but went for the medicine cabinet. Coming back with a syringe, he filled it up. "Alright. You ready? It'll knock you out."

I sent an anxious look to my mate and our son. Seth caught it.

"It's ok, baby. I've got him. We're gonna spend some time getting to know each other. And we'll stay in the room. If he needs to feed, I'll wake you up."

Carlisle smiled down at me. "It's ok to be anxious being away from him. You've had him inside you for months, protecting him. Now he's away from you. But I assure you, in this house, and with Seth, he's perfectly safe."

I bit my lip. "I know. I just-it's so hard to believe that I'm a mom. I don't wanna wake up to know this was a dream."

The doctor chuckled. "He'll no doubt be up in a couple hours to wake you up for feeding time. This medicine won't last long in your system. You'll wake up."

Nodding, I sank down into the bed, all the aches and pains groaning in unison. I hissed, truly feeling the after-pain for the first time. As Carlisle pressed the needle into my skin, I watched my boys as they strolled around the room. It didn't take long to kick in, and when it did, I didn't fight it.

**SethPOV**

I took a breath of relief when Shelby's eyes closed for good. I could tell she was exhausted and in severe pain, but she'd wanted to stay up to see the people closest to us. I'd wanted her to pass out a while ago, but there was no way I could tell her what to do. She'd just spent ten hours bringing our son into the world. She had my complete respect. Not that she hadn't before, but damn.

Brayden cooed and yawned in my arms, little hands grasping. I put my forefinger against that tiny palm, and he grasped it, settling back into his blankets. He hadn't yet opened his eyes, but Carlisle had told me not to panic about that as he'd walked out. Sometimes it took babies to adjust to being out of the womb.

There was a soft knock at the door. I looked at the bed. Shelby was still passed out. I would have gone out into the hall, but I'd promised her I'd stay in here with him.

Going over to the door, I whispered, "Come in."

A moment later, Mom snuck into the room. Her eyes went to the bed as she closed the door quietly.

"Hey," she whispered with a smile, eyes going to Brayden. "How is she?"

"Hey, Mom. Exhausted. I'm glad she let the doc knock her out. What's up?"

"I just thought I'd come see you alone. Your dad would have loved this."

I looked down at my son with new eyes. What if I died and left him? It made me miss my dad so much more. And reminded me of the promise I'd made to Shelby to always come back to the two of them. Oh, yeah. I'd claw my way out of Hell itself to get back to them both. "Yeah, I know. I miss him. But you, me, and Leah will have stories. As well as Charlie and Billy."

She nodded. "Yeah." She held her hands out. "May I?"

"Oh, sure." I lifted him up away from me to hand him off, but he woke up and let out a small squawk. Quickly, I pulled him back, both mom and me looking over at Shelby. She frowned and shifted, but didn't wake up. I looked at Mom. "Sorry."

She smiled. "It's alright. He just knows his dad is all."

"I think it's my body heat, Mom."

Shaking her head, she stroked his cheek. "No, he knows it's you. Trust me. You were the same way with Harry."

I gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"When Brayden first started the kicking, Shelby told me that every time you got close or you talked, he'd start kicking up a storm, moving around. You were the same when I was pregnant with you. Any time Harry came into the room, or he started talking, you'd kick up a fuss. And don't think I didn't test the theory with other men. It was always Harry." She smiled. "Trust me. This baby boy knows his daddy."

I looked back down at my son cradled in my arms. He'd fallen back to sleep as soon as he'd been pressed back against my chest. Just like his mother did every time we went to bed.

I laughed. "Like father, like son, huh? I can use that now."

Mom laughed, tears filling her eyes. "Well, I suppose I'll leave you to get some rest." She rested her hand on my cheek, thumb stroking under my eye. "Get some sleep, honey. I'm so very proud of you, and you are going to make a wonderful father. He already loves you."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby."

And then she was gone. Rosalie had rolled my favorite recliner in here, and now I knew why. Gently sitting back, I hit the button so the chair would fall back. Repositioning Brayden, I laid him out on my chest, making sure that his face was to the side. He was fast asleep, breathing even. I smiled as I looked down at his head. He'd been born with some hair. Not a lot, but enough to know it was going to be pitch black like mine, like Shelby's.

I softly kissed the top of his head, the skin silky smooth.

"Good night, Brayden. Daddy loves you. Very much."

* * *

**So how was that for emotionally awesome? I teared up a lot during this one. Shelby's eyes are finally opened to what she is and what she isn't. Mommy issues will come up. We may even get to meet her mom. Shelby'd been hinting at that in my head while she talks to me, but we shall see. Please review. I love to hear what you have to say, good or bad. Love all of you! Yes, even you. xoxoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys! Chapter 4! Woo hoo! I am awed at the want for Walker's return. I didn't expect so many people to like him. But you know what? Here ya go. Not exactly how'd I pictured his return, but they told me what happened. **

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**A couple weeks later. -Early November.**

**JPOV**

"Jacob! For goodness sake! Get up!"

My body budged as Nessie shook me. My face was buried into her pillow, her scent floating through my sinuses. As I slowly started waking up, I thought,_ man, it's good to be home. I still want that bed in Hawaii, but still, good to be home._

I swatted at her hand.

She made disgruntled sound. "Get. Up." When I didn't move, she huffed. "Fine, I won't fix you breakfast."

Ok, I was up. Groaning, I pushed myself onto my elbow, turning to look at her. Her eyes roamed my body, which was bare since the sheet had slipped, before returning to my gaze.

I smirked. "You rang?" I asked, sarcastically.

She swallowed hard, trying for the hard tone once more. "Yes, I did. Get your butt outta bed. We have shopping to do."

I groaned, smashing my face back into the pillow.

Sighing, she picked up a pillow and smacked me in the back of the head.

I rolled over, grabbing her around the waist as I went. She ended up sitting across my hips.

"Ness, baby, it's like, a whole month before Christmas."

Those chocolate eyes narrowed. I rolled my eyes.

"Good. I win. Now, I've already ordered everything I could online. I had it all sent down to the mechanic shop you work in. I know Frank won't peek, even if one of the gifts is for him. And he told me that you'll never find a thing. However, we need to go to Seattle. There are several things we need to get, and I actually want to do the shopping."

"Of course you do," I yawned.

She pinned me with a venomous glare.

"Anyway. Besides, a lot of it is for Brayden. Shelby and Seth would never ask the family for money, so they're having a gigundous Christmas. Aunt Alice even snuck in to do inventory of everything they need. Some things they got from Sue and Emily. The necessities anyway. We basically get to do the fun stuff."

I gripped her hips, thumbs playing over the skin that peeked between her shirt and jeans. "The fun stuff I can handle." I wasn't worried about Christmas, only because I'd already gotten her gift. Well, her main gift. There was, however, a necklace in Port Angeles that she'd loved instantly. I'd never been more jealous of an inanimate object in my life. But I had enough to pay for it myself, so I was quite proud of that. Edward, Seth, and I were going to go into town next week so we could finish up gifts for the women, and I could, grudgingly, buy the necklace.

Leaning forward, she splayed her hands over my bare chest. "Please come with me? I know you hate shopping, but Seattle scares me a little and I don't wanna go with just Lucas and Morgan. I want my husband to go with me. It's our first Christmas as husband and wife."

And then her eyes got wide as if she'd just realized what she said.

She smacked her forehead. "Oh my god. It's our first Christmas together in this cabin, and as a married couple!"

Like that explained her revelation? I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah. And?"

Her hand came down in a slap against my skin. "Jacob, we have to decorate the house! It's so...cold right now. No warmth! Wow, I have so much to do. I mean, we can't skip Thanksgiving of course. I need to buy stuff for that, too. Geez."

While I was trying to figure out what the hell she was on, she swung herself out of my grip and ran to the closet. And I mean, booked it to the closet, not even missing a step. Waking up even more, I got out of bed, stretched, and went to the bathroom. When I came out, clothes were spread out on the bed for me. Sounds from the kitchen told me Nessie was still going to cook breakfast, no matter how much of a rush she was in, and despite her earlier threat.

By the time I got upstairs, there was a steaming pile of eggs, bacon, and sausage on a plate, and a bowl of oatmeal in front on Nessie. Her momentary rush seemed to have calmed because she wasn't scarfing down her food.

I kissed the top of her head before sitting down. "You know I was joking, right? Of course I'll go with you."

She smiled at me. "Yeah I know. We still need to shop for Henry, Leila, and Claire, and I know you want to help pick everything out. For Claire, I was thinking maybe an easel? She loved the art set. Emily bought her a huge sketch pad though. She has to practically lay on it."

I nodded while shoveled food into my mouth. After a gulp of orange juice, I said, "That sounds pretty good. Is there an art store in Seattle that you know of?"

"Actually, I Googled it. I found one that looks like it'll have what we're looking for but I printed off the others just in case. I put the maps on our phones."

After I nodded, she stared down into the bowl, her lip between her teeth.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Can I ask Shelby to come?"

Wiping my mouth with the napkin, I sat back in the chair. "Ness, you know she won't go without Brayden. He's only two weeks old. And Seth won't let the two of them out of his sight. He's off patrols for a while."

She leaned forward. "I know, and they've been cooped up in that cabin. Let's invite them out. The kid needs sunshine. It's good for you."

Smiling, I sat forward to put my hand over hers. "Ness, something tells me that being a new parent doesn't make you rational about that kind of stuff, especially when those parents are territorial werewolves with enemies prowling around. Besides, Seth would want to double or triple the 'security' detail." I did the quotations in the air with my forefingers.

She squeezed my fingers. "And that's fine, Jake. I just want them to get out. Having a group outing would be fun."

I sighed. "Fine. I'll call them, see if they're_ ready_ to introduce him to the big, bad world."

Grinning, she went back to her oatmeal. "It's only as bad as we paint it."

If that wasn't the God's honest truth, I thought as I pulled out my phone.

**RPOV**

A few hours later, we'd made it to Seattle. Shelby was glowing as she pushed the stroller. Every two minutes, she'd lift the blanket covering the opening to check on Brayden. Every time she wasn't doing it, Seth was. Otherwise, his sharp eyes surveyed the surroundings despite the fact that we had Morgan, Lucas, Patrick, Alana, Leah, and Caden as security. And they took their jobs seriously by attempting to look like what they were. They wore dark clothes and dark sunglasses. It also helped that they radiated "bad ass". Embry and his partner, Colby, had dropped us off. They'd each driven a vehicle to pack all of us. Another wolf, Amelia, had driven one of the larger SUVs to haul all of our stuff in.

The weather was cold enough to have to bundle up. All the wolves had, grudgingly, put on warmer clothes than tanks. Shelby and I were wearing coats, knit hats, and gloves.

When I pulled Jacob to a stop in front of the baby store, Shelby stared at me.

"What are we doing in here?"

Jacob smirked, holding the door open for us. He'd told me how she would react if we went ahead to get the stuff for them. I knew he was right, but I didn't care. I'd already put the things I wanted on hold and had asked them for the wrapping service. She'd never see anything unless she managed to nab the receipt, which wasn't possible. I'd printed it out at home.

"Just come on." I got out my phone to dial Amelia. "Hey, I'm about to pick up our stuff. Just swing by in like ten minutes. We'll throw everything in and walk two stores down to the art store."

"Sure thing. On my way."

With that, I walked up to the counter. There was a young woman there with a bright smile and curly brown hair. Her name tag read, Melanie.

"Hi. How may I help you?"

I smiled back, getting my ID out of my wallet. "Hi. My name is Renesmee Cu-er, Black, but the receipt will probably be under Cullen. I'm here to pick up my order. Mr. Rosco said it would be ready by today."

"Alright." She turned to computer and started typing. We waited about two minutes. "Ok, I found you. And it was under Black." She gave me a smile. "Did you just get married, if you don't mind me asking?"

I felt flush creep up my neck, but my smile was all joy. "Yes, I did." I looked up at Jacob. "We did."

Her eyebrows went up as she looked at Jacob, but the smile never left. All genuine. "Oh! Well, congratulations. A lot of women forget that they've changed their accounts to their new name. Totally understandable." She picked up the phone. "Let me just call Mr. Rosco."

"Thank you."

Jacob pulled me to him with a grin. "I really like the sound of Renesmee Black. You know that, right?"

Grinning like an idiot, I got up on my tiptoes to kiss him. I tried to keep it short and sweet by pulling away, but he held onto my hips, keeping us close.

"Uh, guys. I know I just had a baby and all, but, please. We're in public," Shelby said. I could tell she was smiling, though. Turning around in my husband's arms, I gave her a look.

"You know that baby coming along started from a kiss, right?"

"The same could be said for you, Mrs. Black."

"I don't have kids nor am I pregnant."

She patted my cheek. "Oh, you will be, sweetie. You will be."

I smiled, but it was kind of half-hearted. Seriously, was something wrong with me? Jacob and I had made love so many times. There was no way we could use condoms. And the pills? They'd given me the worst of the side effects. I'd tried everything, but my body hated it all as if it didn't want me taking contraceptives. But why if I wasn't pregnant by now? What if I couldn't have kids? What if Cricket was wrong?

Jacob tensed around me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that the skin around his eyes was tight, lips drawn into a line. I'd projected. But I really couldn't help it. He hated the mental block, and I couldn't deny him anything. Besides, we'd promised not to hold anything from the other.

_Sorry_, I sent out.

He leaned down to kiss my temple. "We'll talk about it later."

I nodded.

"Ah, Mrs. Black!"

Jacob turned with me in his arms. Mr. Rosco was tall, painfully thin, and looked like a butler. He reached forward to take one of my hands in both of his.

"It's so good to see you again. Everything is set and ready to go."

Against my back, Jacob's chest rumbled a little, as if he didn't quite like the attention Mr. Rosco gave me. Fortunately, or probably unfortunately, he turned to Shelby and the stroller.

"Is this one of young ones you told me about?"

I nodded and smiled. "Yes, just two weeks old."

He looked at Shelby. "Would you mind if I-?"

Grinning like a proud momma, she nodded, moving aside the blanket. Seth stepped up beside her with a menacing look and low growl.

"Seth!" Jacob hissed.

The growling stopped but that was it. He kept the glare and didn't step back.

Mr. Rosco smiled anyway. "You must be the father."

Seth gave a terse nod. Mr. Rosco looked down into the stroller, his features softening.

He smiled up at Shelby. "He's beautiful."

She beamed. "Thank you." And then she looked at me. "But how does he know? I thought it was Leila we were picking up for."

I shrugged noncommittally. Mr. Rosco excused himself telling us that he was going to get the order ready and into a large cart.

Instantly her features changed. "Nessie Black, what did you do?"

"Being a good auntie. That's what I'm doing. Now quit bitching."

Her expression turned sad. "Ness, I told you-"

"And I didn't listen." Stepping out of Jacob's arms, I went to hug her. " I know you'll never ask for money. And that's ok because that gives us reasons to shower you guys in gifts. You didn't have a baby shower where you would have gotten all this stuff. Just let me do this. Please. Consider it a giant gift from all the Cullens. I just happened to pick most of it out."

"And what about the Blacks?"

Jacob crossed his arms over his chest. "We got our share covered."

Eventually the tension left her body and she hugged me back. "I love and hate you right now."

"I know. But I'll always take care of you, ok? And so will the family."

She sighed. "I wish you wouldn't."

Jacob stepped up behind me. "Well too bad. You and Brayden belong with us. Seth is one of ours and you two are his family. Period."

"I hate you, too," Shelby pouted to Jacob.

He chuckled. "Eh, I'm used to that. You did punch me in the face and broke my nose."

"Well, you were being a dick."

"That's true. But, Shelbs, no matter what side of the family, pack or...other, we always take care of each other. We share what we can."

Seth wrapped an arm around Shelby's shoulders before she could say anything. "She appreciates it. As do I. She's just not used to it." Smiling, he put his lips to Shelby's ear, but didn't whisper. "Don't you know by now that they never listen? Besides, the Cullens have enough money to support this entire side of the country all the way through to their great-great grandkids." He looked up at me. "Not that I'm saying we use you for money."

I grinned. "I know that, Seth."

He shrugged. "I mean, if someone wants to splurge on you and have the means, I say let them."

Shelby bit her lip. "Yeah, but-"

Seth put a finger over her lips. "You are plenty special. Everybody in this family is."

She was about to reply when Mr. Rosco returned. Two men were pushing a U-boat apiece loaded down with wrapped goodies. Shelby's eyes got wide. I patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry. Not all of it's for you. Some is for Leila." I hugged her. "You can yell at me later, when we get home."

After she finished gaping, she nodded. "You bet your sweet ass, I will."

**TriciaPOV**

Crazy. I was going frickin' crazy, pacing my room. Embry had gone with a group to Seattle for a shopping trip. That had been hours ago, and now the sun was setting through the trees. I wondered, not for the first time, if he was going to come back tonight. Maybe he had pack business. Every night since we "got together", he'd snuck into my room to sleep beside me. When Jacob had been hurt, he'd told me he had to stay at the Cullen house. That night had been hard on me, and somehow, he'd known it. He'd gotten permission for me to go over there to be with him.

Of course, mom and dad hadn't liked it. But I'd told them that I was there to support Embry and that there were other people there.

Hands itching for my phone, I forced them into my jeans pockets. I was not going to annoy him by asking if he was coming over. We,_ I_, needed to remember how it was before he came into my life.

Going over to my window, I stared out into the chilly night. Cool air breezed in when the trees moved from side to side. Mom would kill me if she knew this window was open, but I couldn't help it. The cold kept me calm.

Turning away, I caught the movement of something out of the corner of my eye. Swiveling back around, I realized it was something big.

Embry. It had to be. He always came from the woods so that nobody would see him coming around the house to sneak in. Excitedly, I waited for his big body to stroll out, eyes smiling at me. But it didn't happen. Five minutes passed, and I knew it wasn't Embry. But someone else was out there.

Whoever it was, stepped into the light coming from the back porch. And I almost screamed.

No thinking required. I hopped into my shoes as I stumbled out my door, grabbed my jacket, and flew down the stairs, jumping the last five. Mom and dad were watching a movie with high-def surround sound. The home movie experience. They hadn't heard the thump. I had to go out the front door because they'd see me go out the back. Jumping the porch steps, I darted behind the house. Skidding to a stop, I scanned the treeline.

"Walker?" I called.

No answer.

"Walker, I swear I know you're out here. Don't you dare run again. I'll never forgive you if you do."

Leaves rustled to the left. A moment later, with my heart in my throat, Walker rounded a tree, a hand wrapped around his midsection.

"Hey, little sister," he said weakly, with a weak smile.

He collapsed against the tree, sliding down to plant his butt in the dirt.

"Walker!" I ran to him, falling to my knees beside him.

Up close, he looked terrible. His hair was a knotted, longer mess. Skin pale, eyes sunken in. He'd lost a lot of weight, cheekbones sticking out over sunken cheeks.

"What happened to you? Where have you been?"

He coughed and winced. "Jeremy's."

"Liar. He called me after I told him you might end up down there. Where were you?" I asked sternly.

"Running. Like a coward. Happy?" He leaned over to spit something dark onto the ground.

"Are you injured?"

For some reason he found that hilarious, but the laughing caused him to double over in pain.

"Tricia?"

At the sound of that deep voice, I tensed and relaxed at the same time. "Embry! Get over here."

No doubt, the alarm in my voice brought him jogging over.

"Whoa." He knelt down beside my brother. "Walker, man, you look like hell. What happened?"

Walker grinned, and I could see blood on his teeth. "You sure know how to compliment someone."

Noticing the blood, Embry pried Walker's hand away from his side. The shirt he was barely wearing was shredded, covered with blood in that area. Embry's eyes came up to mine as he sighed.

"We have to get him to Carlisle. He won't make it otherwise."

"No," Walker said weakly.

"Walker, you're going to die if we don't get you to Carlisle."

Walker's strength returned for just a moment as he gripped Embry's wrist and barked, "No!"

I turned him back to me. "Do you want to die? Is that it? I have been worried sick over you. Mom and dad are dying a little each day. And Christa? She's frantic and depressed and just wants you to come home whether you hate her or not."

His dark eyes softened. "I don't hate her. Never did."

I gripped his bloody hand. "Then, please, let Embry get you to the Cullens."

Shaking his head, he gritted his teeth, a couple tears slipping down his dirty face. "I can't."

Embry made a frustrated sound. "Sorry about this."

"About what?" Walker asked.

Embry didn't answer. Instead, he punched Walker in the face, knocking him out cold.

"Embry!"

Embry started messing with Walker, positioning him to be picked up. "He wasn't going to come voluntarily. He'd have fought with what little strength he has left and can't afford to lose." Hefting up my brother, Embry positioned him into a fireman's carry. "Come on. We gotta go through the woods. Call Carlisle or someone at the house."

"I don't have my phone," I puffed out as we traipsed through the woods. Even with my brother's weight, Embry moved fast. I had to trot just to keep up.

"Mine's in my front right pocket. Grab it."

For a moment, I hesitated. I'd never touched him purposefully below the waist. But it wasn't like I was going to grope him. I just needed the damn phone.

"Trish?"

"Oh, sorry."

He chuckled. "I'll enjoy it later, but we gotta let them know."

"Right." Taking a deep breath, I dug into his pocket. The phone was warm from having been so close to his body. Scrolling through his contacts I found "Doc C." and hit dial.

When the call was picked up, I didn't even let him get in a greeting. "Hi, Dr. Cullen. This is Tricia, Embry's...girlfriend."

"Ah, yes. What can I do for you?"

"I found Walker outside my house. He's got a bad wound, bleeding a lot. He's really weak and thin."

"Bring him here."

"Thank you. We're already almost there. Embry had to knock him out because he was being stubborn."

Carlisle chuckled. "Oh, dear. Get him here quickly. I'll be ready."

The phone clicked dead. It didn't take us five more minutes until we got to the clearing. The front door opened as we neared it. Embry darted in, and I went in after him. We hustled it up the stairs where Carlisle met us at the top. He helped Embry position Walker on the bed. Once he was arranged, the doc pushed us back, Edward coming in to help.

Carlisle was all business, yelling out stats. "He's severely dehydrated. Heart rate is erratic. He looks like he was beaten severely."

Their rushing brought out my panic. Walker was worse than I'd thought. Maybe Embry had been able to assess the damage better than me because of his wolf.

"He just said he was running," I managed as Embry wrapped his arms around me.

Carlisle and Edward shared a look. Edward turned to us.

"He's going to need surgery. The two of you need to leave."

"But-,"

Embry tugged me toward the door. "Come on, Tricia. The sooner they can get started, the faster he'll heal."

"He's right," Carlisle said.

I nodded, letting Embry pull me out into the hall. Shelby appeared at the top of the stairs. Just two weeks after her son was born, she looked the same as she had before she'd gotten pregnant. With worry in her eyes she rushed over to us.

"Alice texted me. Are you ok? Is he?" she asked.

I gripped her hand hard, fear making me seek comfort. "We don't know. All they said was that he's dehydrated and needs surgery. He looks awful." And then I thought of something. "Someone needs to call Christa. He's her imprint. Maybe her closeness can help."

Shelby nodded as she pulled out her phone. "Good idea." She put the phone to her ear and waited. "Hey, Christa. Listen up. Walker's back but he's in bad shape. Tricia and Embry managed to get him to the Cullen house. Carlisle's doing surgery on him right now, but he needs you, Chris. He's your imprint. The closeness will help…Yes, I'm sure. It helped with me when I got attacked and Seth was there with me."

I motioned for the phone. Shelby gave it to me. "Christa, listen to me. It's Tricia. He doesn't hate you. He told me that just before…" I looked up at Embry. "Just before he passed out. He never hated you."

There was a pause before, "Ok. I'm on my way."

The phone went dead in my hand. Apparently, people in a hurry didn't like to say goodbye.

Shelby took the phone out of my hand and pulled me into a tight hug.

I gripped her as hard as I could, praying that my big brother made it out alive.

**ChristaPOV**

As soon as I hung up the phone, I stripped and phased outside my house. Though I'd hesitated on the phone, I'd known the second Shelby had said that Walker was back that I'd be at that house in an instant. My gut had been tugging all night in the weirdest way, and now I knew why. The need to be near him nearly made me mental. Snapping and snarling at anything or anyone in my way, I darted into the woods so as not to be hazardous to the community, because no doubt, I was violent right now. Not with Walker but for whoever had caused him to need surgery, whoever had caused the fear in Tricia's voice.

Before I knew it, I was flying the steps of the Cullen porch. Flinging open the door, I found Caden and Leah curled up on the couch. Morgan was waiting with Lucas. Morgan threw a blanket at me. I wrapped it around myself as I raced up the stairs. Tricia was curled up in Embry's lap, her eyes red, finger's clutching her man's shirt.

"Any news?" I demanded.

Tricia flinched but shook her head. Embry fought between a glare and sympathy.

The door to my left opened. Edward poked his head out. "Good, you're here. Get inside."

I went in as fast as possible. The door shut, but I couldn't bring myself to look over at the bed right now. Deep breaths.

Edward pointed to the sink. "Step on the pedal to get the water going. Use that soap and scrub up to your elbows. Touch nothing else. Before you do, there are some clothes in the closet."

Quickly, I stripped out of the blanket and threw on whatever my fingers touched first. Then I went to the sink and did as I'd been told. Once I was done with that, Edward pointed to the towels. After I was done with my cleaning, Edward brought a chair to the far side of the bed next to the window. The wound was on Walker's right side so I needed to be away from it on his left.

"Sit here. Don't move. Hold his hand, talk to him, whatever. But don't distract us."

I looked at Walker's haggard face. "He's that bad?"

Edward debated for a moment on whether to say anything or not. Finally, he sighed. "There are a lot of internal wounds that have healed on their own and incorrectly. Carlisle is working to first stop the freshest that's bleeding out into his body. This is going to take some time. So, yes, he's that bad."

Settling in the seat to get comfortable, I tentatively reached out to Walker's hand. It should be Tricia in here. She was his sister, but the pull of him wouldn't let me leave. When I finally made contact, something in my chest loosened.

Not much because of the fear and worry, but enough to let me know I was where I was supposed to be.

**RPOV**

Jacob and I ran for the house after we'd gotten the text from Seth. We bypassed everybody in the living room, and ran into Aunt Rose and Uncle Em on the stairs.

"What's going on?" I asked a little breathless.

Aunt Rose looked a little worried. "Edward said that there are multiple internal wounds that have already healed, but not well. And there is one fresh wound bleeding out. Carlisle is working on that one right now."

Uncle Em rubbed a hand up my aunt's back. "Christa's in there with him. It helped. His heart rate evened out. The whole house could hear it. Tricia and Embry are sitting outside the door. It's gonna take a while. They should take the recovery bed."

Jacob and I shared a look before finishing up the staircase. Shelby was sitting beside them, one of Tricia's legs in her lap. Both women had their heads resting on Embry's shoulders.

"Hey, guys," I said softly.

When Tricia met my eyes, hers filled with tears before she turned her face into Embry's neck. He stroked her back and whispered in her ear. I went to sit beside Shelby.

"Any news yet?"

She nodded. "They got the crucial wound fixed. Now they're just working on the improperly healed scars. That's what's going to take the longest."

I linked my fingers with hers as Jacob sat next to me, squeezing my thigh comfortingly as I rested my head on my best friend's shoulder. I sighed.

"Embry, how bad did he look?" Jacob asked.

Tricia flinched.

Embry kissed her head, then rested his cheek there. "As far from good as you can get without being dead. Lost a lot of weight. Looked like he hadn't had a hot meal or shower since he left. Dirty, matted hair, ratty clothes. Jake, he knew he was dying. And he wanted it." He squeezed Tricia as she started crying again, tears flowing faster. He whispered to her. I patted her leg where it rested in Shelby's lap.

Jacob's hand massaged my neck as I transferred my head to his shoulder.

We were all settled in for the wait. And not going anywhere.

* * *

**Well, then...dum, dum, duuuuuum. Hmmmz. I liked this chapter. Yes, it was short, and I apologize, but hey, at least I didn't wait a month! Love you guys! Don't forget to review. They keep me going, good or bad. Or if you wanna PM me go for it. xoxoxoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 already? Whew. Guys, I can already tell that this final installment of this series is gonna be epic...if I can write it right, ya know? One thing I already know is that there ****_will_**** be a fight. It won't just be staring at each other like BD Part 2(the book). Sorry, but the book's ending left something to be desired. However, this one (hopefully) will not. Anyways, we're far off, but I thought I'd let ya know.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**JPOV**

It took two days for Walker to wake up from the surgery. Every time we went to check on him, he'd filled out his skin. Carlisle had taken some blood from Caden. Apparently their blood types matched. Christa had brushed out his hair and washed him the best she could without invading his privacy.

In those two days, Nessie had completely decorated our house. She and Alice had gone to an arts and crafts store. I'm pretty sure the two women had bought out everything they had in the way of Halloween-even though it was past-, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Also a ton of picture frames. I'd been stunned when I'd come home from my double shift of patrols. Since Seth was down for father/son bonding, I'd stepped in for him. The day after Walker's surgery, I'd gone to the cabin to find the fires roaring merrily, framed pictures on the walls, on tables, and the mantle. Nessie's favorite wedding picture had been blown up and hung over the mantle. The house smelled of spicy cinnamon and sweet vanilla. Candles in fall colors, like the colors we'd seen in Tennessee, were burning in jars throughout the house. There were new rugs on the hardwood floors and throw blankets on the couch. Fall decorations could be seen here and there in usual fall colors.

I'd also smelled beef stew. Nessie had gotten the recipe from a woman who owned a diner in Tennessee, a diner we hadn't been able to get enough of.

Now, Nessie was in the kitchen cutting up some hamburger that she wasn't using and wrapping it up before sticking it in the freezer. Then she pulled out some homemade garlic bread that was on a pan. After she tossed it into the oven and took a moment to breathe, I wrapped my arms around her.

I kissed the side of her neck. "Now this is a home to come home to."

She rubbed her hands over my arms. "You like it?"

"I love it. It's not a cave anymore."

"Have you heard anything about Walker?"

I shook my head, chin on her shoulder. "No, but I did look in on him. Christa was fast asleep. He looks a bit more filled out. I left before anyone knew I was there."

The phone in my pocket buzzed.

"Hello?" I said after digging it out.

"Jacob," Edward said. "It's Walker. He's up. We thought you might like to know."

"How up is up?" I rubbed Nessie's neck as she watched me.

"Groggy, still coming out of it. Definitely not up for visitors but Christa refuses to leave. She mentally threatened to rip me apart if I tried to remove her."

"Uh, wow. Well, Ness is making dinner, so that'll give him time to wake up before we go to see him."

There was a pause. "He's not up for questions, Jacob."

"That's fine. I wasn't planning on it. I just want him to know that we're all here. Is Tricia still there?"

I could hear the smile in his voice. "Oh, yeah. Her parents sent Charlie over after she hung up on them as they demanded to know where she was. Apparently, they 'know she's with that Indian man'."

I scrubbed my face. "Aw, crap."

"I like her," he said enthusiastically.

"Of course you do. And what is Charlie going to tell her parents?"

"That she's seventeen and is old enough to make her own decisions. He's also planning on telling them that Walker's back but sick again. It'll help keep them away."

"And keep Tricia closer. Is that a good idea with both women around?"

It sounded like he'd shrugged. "No murderous thoughts from either one. Walker hasn't come out of it enough to talk and really know where he is yet. I think the two women are fine together. After all, Tricia harbors no feelings for him other than as her brother. If anything, she's supportive of Christa taking care of him."

"How long has he been actually awake, Edward?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh aboooouuuut...two minutes."

I laughed. "You saw him coming out of it. He wasn't awake when you called me."

"This might be true."

Chuckling, I said, "Ok. We'll be down there after we eat. If anything changes, let me know. He's one of mine now. We'll help him pull through this."

"Of course. See you later, son."

When we hung up, I just stared at the phone.

Nessie ran her hand up my arm. "What is it?"

"He called me 'son'."

She laughed and shrugged. "Well, it's true. By marriage, you are his son-in-law."

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into me. "I know. But it's so weird how the mentality has changed between us. I mean, I see him as Bella's husband, as your dad, but he's still just Edward. No longer my rival, but I could never call him dad. What's funny is, it feels okay when he calls me 'son', like it's right."

She squeezed me. "A lot of sons-in-law don't call their fathers-in-law 'dad', Jake. But, trust me, Dad understands."

I smiled down at her. "You're telling me if it's not broke, don't fix it?"

"Exactly."

We grinned at each other before I kissed her forehead.

**ChristaPOV**

I'd been trying to read one of Edward's philosophy books when I'd heard something off about Walker's breathing from the bed. Glancing up, I found his eyes blinking rapidly as he mumbled.

"Walker." I squeezed his hand. "Walker, it's ok. You're ok. It's me, Christa. Let me get Carlisle."

As I stood up, his hand shot out to grip my wrist with surprising strength. He shook his head as his breathing became labored with exertion.

I stroked the hair out of his eyes. "It's ok. I know you don't want me here. I just couldn't help but watch over you. Let me get someone, alright?"

His grip tightened on my wrist, eyes turning sad, filling with tears.

I'd heard Jacob and Embry in the hallway two days ago. Embry had told Jacob that Walker had known he was dying and welcomed it. Later, Embry had also told Jake that Embry had told Walker that I was here, that I'd wanted him home from the get-go and had replied that he couldn't. Whatever that meant, and it wasn't hard to guess. He'd left because of the whole love-square thing. He hadn't wanted to be my imprint after Embry had told him, and had left, not bearing to be around Tricia and Embry, knowing he would never be with her. But why had he come back if he'd wanted to die?

"Stay," he whispered.

"I'm not Tricia. I'm Christa," I said slowly.

He managed a nod. "I know."

Slowly, I sat down, keeping eye contact with him. He turned my hand so that he could hold it, putting pressure on my fingers. I realized he was trying to squeeze them. Mentally, I called out to Edward, but squeezed Walker's fingers in return.

I stroked my fingers through his hair, unable to keep from touching him. "Why, Walker? Why run? Why not come talk to me? Just because you're my imprint, that doesn't mean we have to be together. Why would you want to die, Walker? You couldn't just come to me?" In the middle of my rant, I'd started blubbering and crying.

He gripped my hand and shook his head. Before talking, he swallowed hard. I grabbed the cup of water next to the bed with the straw. He took a few sips, eyes closing in relief.

When his eyes opened, he just stared at me, squeezing my hand with increasing strength.

"It's not that I wanted to die to get away from you." He swallowed hard. More water. More relief. "Christa, after Embry led me to the conclusion about you, I was terrified, but I knew it was true. After how I treated you, any other woman would have called me an asshole and never have anything to do with me again. You stayed. It was the fear that drove me off. I was a coward and couldn't face you. That's what I meant by 'I can't' when I talked to Embry." He paused to breathe and rest for a moment. "I couldn't face you after what I'd done to you and how I'd treated Tricia. So I ran."

Blinking hard with my eyes wide, I tried not to cry. He laced his fingers with mine.

"I am so, so damn sorry." Weakly, slowly, he lifted my hand to his lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Don't leave."

I stroked his wrist and forearm with my free hand. "I won't. We'll talk about this later, ok? Just let me get Carlisle and Edward. I won't leave. Do you want to see Tricia? She and Embry are here."

He shook his head. "Just you. And the doc."

I nodded. "Ok." I spoke up. "Edward or Carlisle, you can come in now. I know you're out there."

A moment later, Carlisle came in. Walker and I never broke eye contact while the doctor did his thing. He answered Carlisle's questions but kept his attention on me.

"Well, it seems as if you're healing pretty well from surgery. Looks as if sleeping it through for two days has helped to revive you. You've filled out with the fluids and blood that we gave you. Also, Walker, I want you to know that I fixed more than the fresh wound. There were other wounds that had healed incorrectly. While you were under, I took the liberty to fix them so that there wouldn't be complications later down the road."

Walker finally looked at Carlisle. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're very welcome, Walker."

"Thank you, Carlisle. For everything," I said.

He smiled, placing his hand on my shoulder. "It's not a problem, dear." He turned back to Walker. "No sudden movements. Your insides are still healing, though since they were made from a knife of some sort, I will assume they will heal quickly. Unless it was silver?" The last was a question.

Walker shook his head. "I don't know."

"Well, nevertheless, Caden says that since we reopened the wounds, they should heal with your wolf's abilities. Hopefully he's right, and you'll heal in a day or so. Now, I believe I will excuse myself. The deer are waiting."

Now that I looked at him, his eyes were nearly black. He hadn't been hunting since before Brayden had been born.

"Sorry, doc," Walker said weakly.

"Don't worry. We're all just glad that you're back and now on the road to recovery. Now, if you'll excuse me."

We said goodbye one last time before I turned back to Walker. For a long while we just stared at each other. Beyond the window and the woods, the sun was slowly moving across the sky.

"What happened to you, Walker?"

His gaze lowered, a pained expression crossing his face.

"He's talking?"

Startled, I turned to find Jacob and Nessie in the doorway. Nessie was wrapped around his arm, looking worried. Jacob was the one who'd asked.

I nodded. "A little. Carlisle says he's healing nicely, but still weak, of course."

"Of course." They came into the room. Jacob smiled at Walker, and crossed his arms. "Do you know the shit you've put us through?"

"Jacob-," Nessie started.

He looked at her. "No, Ness." Looked back at Walker. "Look, man, I know you're healing and you feel like shit. You looked worse when you came in. But, man, really next time this crap goes down, don't take off. I'm not saying you have to talk about it immediately, but don't just run out there. Things are different now that you're in our world. This isn't just a pack mentality. It's a family one, too. If you needed space, I'd have made the order, Walker. You probably thought it would just be you in danger, but in reality, you taking off put all of us in danger. I don't know you from Adam. If you'd gotten captured, I wouldn't know if you'd have spilled about us. I wouldn't-,"

"I didn't."

All eyes went to the bed.

"What?" I asked.

He met Jacob's gaze. "I didn't rat you guys out."

"Walker, what are you saying? Were you-?" I couldn't even finish it.

He cleared his throat, and worked his way into a sitting position. I helped as best I could. He gave me a weak smile in thanks as Jacob and Ness moved closer.

"Apparently, there's a pack of my kind of wolf in southern Washington. I never made it past them. There are rules to being my kind of wolf to travel through territories." He laughed, but not like it was funny. "Caden and I need to have a little rule chat. Anyway, at first they just asked me questions. The second in command believed that I wasn't a threat, and wanted me to meet the pack leader. So I had no choice. When an alpha male wants you to do something, it's not a request. The pack leader came back. That's when it all turned on me. They'd found another in the territory, one of Tristan's. She recognized me, and the pack leader saw it."

Walker's eyes moved over my shoulder and lost focus, like he was back wherever he'd been. His voice had gone flat in the emotionless way people retold traumatic stories. I brought his hand to my cheek.

"They tortured us for...hell, I don't even know how long. Knives, claws, fire, whatever they could find. You see, they thought I was part of Tristan's pack, and the pack leader has a beef with him. So when the girl recognized me, he thought we were scouting his territory. Apparently, it's well known that Tristan is looking to settle here in the States. I learned things, but I never ratted you out. I knew that if I said something about you, about where I actually came from, they'd want to come investigate you. I knew that you couldn't handle that without proper explanation. I would have mentioned Caden, but I didn't know whether or not it would help, so I kept my trap shut."

Silence greeted that monologue. Silence and shock.

Jacob sat down hard in the only other chair in the room. "You...you went through...torture...to protect us?"

Walker smirked. "Come on, Jake. I don't hate you guys. I've never blamed anyone but Tristan for what happened to me. You took me in. Caden trained me so that I could control this to be close to my family. I may have been an angry moron when I left, but I've never been disloyal."

I squeezed his hand, neverminding the tears now rolling down my face. Walker brought his other hand around to stroke my cheek.

"How did you escape?"

The room turned to find Caden in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the frame. And then we all turned back to Walker.

"The girl. I haven't quite figured out the whole grow-your-own-claws thing yet. One night we managed to communicate with our feet in the dirt. I had no choice but to trust her. So I made the deal that if I kept their attention on me, she could heal enough to get loose and shift. She'd also said that she was like Nyla. I assumed that meant she was born a werewolf and could shift faster than infected wolves. The plan worked. We got loose. We went in opposite directions. On the way out, I got caught by the pack leader. Got into a fight with him. My anger came out and so did the claws. I left him bleeding in the grass and took off. The next thing I remembered was seeing Tricia. I don't remember the trip back here."

"And now you're here," Caden said.

Walker nodded. "Now I'm here. I don't know what happened to the girl. But I do know that the moment I saw Tricia, I knew I was back." His eyes flicked to me. "I just wanted to die, you know? To...rid this place of me and my idiocy. I hurt the two women that I care most about, except for my mom but she's a given."

"I think you would have caused them more pain had you let yourself go," Nessie said, coming up to stand next to me, her hand on my shoulder. Then, she turned to the room. "Come on, guys. Let's let them be. Walker's no doubt exhausted. And they both need rest."

When everyone just stared at her, she raised her eyebrows and snapped. "Now. Not later, people. Let's go."

I looked up at her as she patted my shoulder. "Thanks."

"No problem," she said with a smile as everyone started to file out. Then she looked over at Walker. "I'm glad you're ok. But you're staying around. Period. No more running off, and no more giving up."

Walker chuckled then grimaced. "I'll try to remember that, alpha lady."

"You'd better or it won't be me that comes after you. I'll let Tricia and Christa have their way with you. And it won't be in a good way. Understand?"

He nodded. "Thanks."

"Have a good night." And then she walked out, meeting Jacob in the hall with a hug and kiss.

The alpha couple gave us one last wave before walking out. The sun was just starting to set over the trees, and my mind was racing while my body was exhausted. I hadn't slept well since the moment I walked in this room. And now, after the story he'd just laid out, I didn't want to lose him from my sight for two seconds, let alone long enough to get a decent nap in.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. I just want to lay here."

Nodding, I stood up, ready to find something to do. "That's fine. I'll just-,"

"With you."

My gaze shot to his face. "What?"

"I want you to lay here with me. If you want to."

To make a point, he moved over on the wide bed, creating room for me.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life."

Smiling, I leaned down to press my lips to his forehead. "Let me get into my pj's. I'll be right back."

Not three minutes later, I was crawling in beside him. It was awkward at first because I really wanted to believe that maybe we were going to try to be together, but I was scared. And then, he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his chest. His other arm wrapped over my waist. The pull on his wounds had to hurt but he never flinched or made an outward sign that it affected him.

When his lips pressed to my forehead, I started to hope.

**RPOV**

After about ten minutes, I checked in on Walker and Christa. And was pleasantly surprised. Christa was curled up into Walker's side, his arms wrapped around her tiny form. Quietly, I walked across the room to pull the drapes closed. They both needed sleep, and I was hoping they'd each get a couple more days in.

"Good night, Nessie," Christa whispered.

"Yeah, 'night, Ness," Walker echoed.

I couldn't help but grin. "Good night, you two. Yell if you need anything, but get some sleep, ok?"

She yawned first with a nod, then he yawned, burying his face in her hair.

_It's about damn time,_ I thought as I shut the door behind me.

I made my way back downstairs where some of the pack was gathered. Jacob, Embry, Seth, and some others were gathered around the dining room table as Esme and Mom put dinner out.

"So what's going to happen now?" Morgan asked from her perch on Lucas's lap. "Surely that other pack can trace Walker here. What does that mean for us?"

All eyes went to Caden.

He shrugged. "It depends. Walker said he left the pack leader bleeding. It takes a lot to put the pack leader on the floor. If Walker could do that, he could have killed him."

"And what if he did?" I asked as Jacob pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and settled in.

"Again, that depends. On how much of a dick the pack leader was. Walker said the second in command liked him. That means there was an instinct to trust him. I wonder how much of the torture he committed if he liked Walker. Actually, let me remedy that. I wonder how much he did voluntarily or if the pack leader made it involuntary."

Jacob stroked my back. "You don't know anything about him? I mean you and Leah spent the same amount of time overseas as Ness and I on the honeymoon. Didn't you guys get back right before Brayden was born?"

He nodded. "Yes. All we were told about that pack was that it was small because the pack leader was paranoid. It certainly goes with Walker's story. Edmund could have easily told if Walker was lying or not, but the paranoia forced him to ignore it. On the plus side, he hates Tristan. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how he would react to me. Leah and I found out that there were rumors about me detaching from the pack. We did manage to get some support. At my call, they'll all be ready to fly here. They're just waiting."

"Why are they going to help us?" Jacob asked.

"Leah's presence helped. The phenomenon of the imprint to your people is the same as the effect of a 'true mate' in my world. Once she did her explaining, they came together. We all told stories of how much we hate Tristan. It was rather refreshing. Though some of them weren't as receptive. They liked his tenacity for taking over the States the way we have over there." He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "If Edmund survived the fight with Walker, then he'll be on our side against Tristan. I'm sure we could get an understanding between him and Walker. There are a couple other, rather large, packs here in the States that will side with us. I've already contacted them."

Embry sat forward to pile some mac-n-cheese on his plate. "So, how many packs all together?"

Caden scrubbed his face. "I'd say five for sure. One or two are on the fence and told me they'd decide when I made the call."

"Only five?" Shelby asked as she walked in from feeding Brayden. She'd always said breastfeeding in public was indecent even though now she understood.

As she settled into the chair beside Seth, Caden smiled, "You have to understand, luv, these packs aren't small. Jacob's pack and the one we have in jail are tiny compared to these other packs. Anywhere between two hundred and four hundred. And they've all been dying to move to the States. And thankfully for us, they're all civil with each other, overlapping territories. They said they wouldn't mind overlapping here as well."

"What are you saying?" Seth asked, wrapping his arm around Shelby, his other hand brushing over his son's head.

Caden's grin was full of satisfaction. "That means, my dear friend, that we could fortify this entire side of the country. We'd be a force to be reckoned with. Not even your vampire royalty would dare come against us."

Jacob and I shared a look, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. With that kind of support, we'd be safe. Free to start a family. And the Volturi would have no choice but to leave us be or risk being decimated.

Jacob looked over at Caden. "Would one pack be willing to come without threat? Just to meet, maybe look at territory?"

Caden grinned. "Absolutely. I know the perfect one." He shared a look with Leah. "Emma and Calahan," they said at the same time.

"Great," Jacob said. "Ask them to come here. And while they're en route, if they decide to come, you can teach us the way of territories."

Caden nodded. "Absolutely. They'll be visitors so they'll have to see to that all of the niceties are met." His gaze moved to me. "I've told the packs that I trust about you. They know that you're alpha female but not wolf. I'm going to have to teach you the way of the females if others come to live here, around us. You're going to have to be strong, and not so nice. At least not at first."

I shifted in Jacob's lap and set my glass down. "I thought these are friends of yours."

"They are, but you can't forget what we are. I told you that most packs are run on fear. Just because they're nice now doesn't mean they were in the beginning. They had to show their strength to keep the spot, to keep others from questioning them. You will be another alpha female that will have to show that you're not just alpha in name, but that your pack respects you. And not from your compassion, but out of fear as well. These females will need to know that you can be tough when need be. Same goes for Jacob."

Jacob squeezed my waist, grabbing my attention. "Do you think you can do that?"

I knew what he was asking. His eyes pleaded with me to say I could do it. This would mean the ultimate protection. _If_ we could all get along. This was my test to prove to the supernatural world that I wasn't just a half vampire, half human girl, but a strong, confident, alpha female of a pack. It was my test to prove that I could back up my male when he needed it the most.

I nodded, sitting up straight, and lifting my chin.

"Yeah. I can do that."

Jacob grinned, eyes flashing in light of my confidence.

For him, and for my family, I would do anything.

* * *

**Ooooooo, Nessie's getting AWESOME! Who else liked her little display of authority gettin' everyone outta the room? I know I did! Please, please, please, please review? Or pm me if you have a question. I do not mind at all. I love you guys too much not to help you navigate my brain. So ask away! xoxoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! Holy cow. I really have nothing to say in this note-thingy other than that I liked Seth in this chapter. And Embry. And Christa. And Walker. Woo hoo!**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**ChristaPOV**

The next morning, I woke to something stroking my face. At first, I nearly panicked, thinking I was at home where nobody else should have been in my room. But then, out of the haze of sleep, I remembered last night, Walker's voice asking me to stay with him.

Slowly, I opened my eyes while his fingers stroked the bridge of my nose. He grinned down at me.

"Good morning, gorgeous."

I couldn't help but smile. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Much better. I think sleeping more helped. As well as being next to you."

Frowning, I leaned up on my elbow. "Walker, I don't understand. All of a sudden you're acting like you like me. As in, _like_ me, like me."

He sighed and took my hand. "Christa, you remember when we were patrolling Forks looking for the other wolves?"

I nodded.

"When you came up with the idea to play a couple, and we...kissed in the grocery store. I didn't want to stop." His eyes met mine. "And I knew it was you in my arms. I did everything to push you away. I was rude and a total asshat. Tricia had been in my head for so long, and I'd convinced myself with the lie that I just couldn't handle what my body was feeling. I was drawn to you, in a way that I had never been drawn to Tricia. The word 'want' isn't near strong enough for how I felt toward you, and still do. I made a mistake, and I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

Air was hard to come by for a few heartbeats. When I finally got a full breath, I said, "What are you saying?"

His tan fingers laced with mine. "I'm saying that I want there to be an 'us'. I want to try. Embry said I'm your imprint. From what I've heard that means that I'm your match, right?" I nodded. "Ok, then. Let me prove to you I'm not the guy I showed you. I'd never acted like that before. I was just so angry that life was throwing me another curveball. I'd thought I'd gotten lucky, a break, when I figured out Tricia was adopted, and then I met you, and shit got weird. But now, after you thought I wanted to die to be away from you?" He shook his head. "I want nothing more than to be right here. Besides," he said with a smile, "Embry and my sister look too good together."

I laughed.

"But seriously, Christa. There is nothing I want more than to make things up to you. You didn't deserve what I did."

I stared at our laced hands. "So you thought a lot about this, huh?"

He shrugged. "Well, I had some time between beatings."

When I looked up at his face, he was smiling softly. "I'm sorry. I-"

He brought my hand up to kiss the back of it. "It's ok. I'm ok. Actually, I am kind of grateful. I thought about you every moment. That's how I got through it. I replayed our kiss over and over. Thought about your lips and how I'd wanted to run my tongue over them , to taste you. A life with you, making everything up to you. Christa, I know that I'm confusing you, but that whole time, I just really wanted you. I tried not to. But that's why I kissed you back. I just had to know."

I squeezed his hand, not ready to let myself fall for all this, but so ready to. "Ok. We'll go a day at a time. First, you need to heal. Are you hungry? I could get you something?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I think I can walk. Seriously, Christa, I feel good as new. I went to the bathroom on my own and everything worked fine."

Sitting up, I stared at him with panic coursing through me. "When?"

"Before you woke up. I'm a little tense like I need to stretch, but other than that everything feels great."

"Why didn't you wake me up just in case?"

"Because you looked comatose last night. I wasn't about to wake you up when you were actually sleeping. Besides, Edward was outside the room the whole time. I'm fine." He stroked my hair back and kissed my forehead. "Now, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."

Sighing, I gave up on the whole wake me up thing. We took turns in the bathroom. Once we were both dressed and decent we went for the kitchen. Walker wrapped his hand around mine, smiling when I looked up at him.

"Is this ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It's ok."

The smile turned to a grin. "Good." His thumb stroked over my wrist. "How are you and Morgan?"

The question surprised me for a moment. " Uh...Good. We're good."

"So, what's been going on since I've been gone? What's happened?"

"Well," I said as we landed on the first floor. "Jacob and Nessie got married."

"Oh, wow."

"After Tristan went after Nessie again. Jacob got torn up pretty bad but Caden says he hurt Tristan in return. We also have ninety percent of Tristan's pack in our vampire-made prison. They've been given choices."

He made a face. "I'm so sick of all this shit. Why can't we get left alone?"

I gave him a look. "We?"

He nodded. "We. If they'll have me, I fully intend on being part of this pack. Jacob and Caden have done a lot for me. A lot that I haven't been appreciative of since they found me in that clearing."

Grinning, I squeezed his hand. "Good. I want you to stay. You belong here with us."

Again, he brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles. "Anything else going on?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but a baby's cry beat me to it.

"Shelby had her baby."

Walker met my eyes with shock. "What?"

I nodded. "Baby boy. His name is Brayden."

He looked toward the dining room where the sound had come from. "But she was barely pregnant when I left."

I shrugged. "It has something to do with your kind of wolf. Apparently, the gestation rapidly sped up. He's only about three weeks old, though. Born the last week of October."

"A Halloween baby. The best kind of treat."

When I laughed, the house went quiet. "Come on. They're curious."

Together, we walked into the dining room. Caden, Ethan, and Lucy were seated at one end while some of the others were seated on the other. Brayden was being passed around. He'd finally opened his eyes, and we'd all been shocked. We'd all thought he'd look like his father since Seth had the strongest genes, but nope. Those bright green eyes and black hair was very Harry Potter-esque. Since he'd been born before Halloween, Shelby thought it would be hilarious to dress him up that way. Pictures had been taken. I had one framed at my house.

"Oh, wow," Walker whispered beside me.

"Walker!"

Tricia got up from her chair next to Embry to run up to us. I threw out my arm so that she wouldn't fling herself onto him. Even though he was healing quickly, that didn't mean that he was ready for that much pressure on his body.

He glanced at me. "Thanks. Hey, little sister." Gently, he wrapped his arms around his now-crying sister. "It's ok, Trish. I'm fine."

"I missed you so much," she cried, gripping his shirt hard.

"I missed you, too."

For a few minutes, he just rocked her as she sobbed against him, his cheek resting on the top of her head. Nessie came up to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

She offered me a smile. "How is everything?"

Looking over at my imprint, I nodded. "Good. We're...good."

We looked back just in time to see Tricia lean back and smack Walker over the head.

"You stupid, freaking moron. What is wrong with you? Do you know how worried I was? How worried Christa was? Don't you_ ever_ do anything that stupid again. We were ready to come after you, but Caden wouldn't let us. What happened to you anyway? You lied about going to Jeremy's."

I saw Walker's eyes flick over Tricia's head to meet Embry's, a question floating from him to the other wolf. Embry shook his head. He hadn't told Tricia what had happened to her brother. No doubt he was trying to protect her from the horrors of our world that were changing with every second.

Walker looked back down at Tricia. "In all honesty, that's where I was heading."

"You never made it?"

He shook his head, but stroked a finger down the slope of her nose. "We'll talk about it later, ok? It's not really a happy topic and right now, I need some positivity. And I have something to say to everyone."

Immediately, everyone's attention came this way, eyes darting between me and Walker. Seth positioned Brayden against his chest, rubbing his son's back in big circles.

"What's up, Walker?" Jacob asked.

He cleared his throat and looked at me. "I've already apologized to Christa, and it will never be enough. But I was thinking about what you said the other day, Jacob. About how I put everyone in danger when I took off. And you're right. So, I want to say, to everyone who can hear me, that I am so, so sorry for what I did. It was stupid and selfish. And if it's possible, I would like to be a part of the pack. I want to help take Tristan down for everything he's done. I swear to you that I will follow any order you give me. Jacob, Seth, Ness, any of you. I want this family." Turning to me, he held his hand out to me. I went to him and he pulled me in against his body. "Christa and I are going to start over, and try the whole imprint thing. I have a lot to prove, but you guys are her family. What better way to encompass all of that? And, I mean, of course, I care about all of you. I just didn't want to. Not after what happened to me and my confusion about my feelings. It was all too much. And I know that's not an excuse, but it's the truth. And I just-,"

"Walker," Jacob interrupted.

Walker took a deep breath. "Yeah?"

"Welcome home."

**RPOV**

Once everyone had settled, Mom and Esme had put out breakfast. Walker had shaken hands with Embry before sitting across from him and Tricia. Christa sat next to him, her face glowing with joy. She'd been so worried about him. Barely eating or sleeping, Jacob had tried to cut down her patrol hours, but she'd refused, insisting that the patrols and running would give her a purpose rather than being bored and having to think. Jacob had agreed but had also told her that if she slipped he'd bench her.

Now, she'd slept all through last night curled up with Walker. They'd helped to heal each other. He looked as fresh and jock-like as he had before disappearing. Only his hair was longer. And Christa looked as if she'd slept for a week, the rest sinking into her. Her skin glowed healthily, eyes were clear and alert. She'd been quick to step between Walker and Tricia when the sister had almost thrown herself onto her brother.

I was done eating, Jacob wolfing down what was left on my plate, and I sat back to watch everyone as they laughed, told jokes, and filled Walker in on what had gone down while he'd been gone. During a quiet moment, Carlisle excused himself so he could go experiment with some things.

A moment later, a baby appeared in my field of vision. Brayden smiled and gurgled at me.

"Ness, you wanna take him? I gotta go for my patrol and Shelby needs to eat."

"Hey!" came from the other side of him. "I eat."

Smiling, I took Brayden. "Sure. I'd love to. Everybody's been hogging him."

Seth smiled at me, kissed his son's head, and kissed Shelby. On his way out, he turned back with an evil glint in his eyes. "Oh, and Ness? I think he might need to be changed."

We all laughed as he ducked out of the room.

Shelby held out her hands. "Here, I'll get it."

I shook my head and stood up. "Nah, it's ok. I can take care of it. Where'd you put his bag?"

"In the living room, next to the couch. Are you sure? I can get it."

I gave her a pointed look. "You eat. I'll take care of my nephew, thank you very much."

Chuckled followed me out of the room as Brayden's hands played in my hair. Locating the bag, I took him into the downstairs bathroom. I'd changed him a few times over the past couple weeks. It was messy this time, but we got through it. Though my eyes did water a bit. He grinned up at me as I blew raspberries on his chubby tummy. For a three week old, he was bigger than normal. Carlisle guessed that was because of his wolf parents, and the gene and disease lurking in his blood. Thankfully, though, he wouldn't be growing as fast as I had. Instead of looking like a three week old, Brayden looked more like five or six weeks old. At first, Shelby had panicked, but Carlisle and Caden had assured her that Brayden was perfectly healthy. She'd calmed only after Seth had showed his lack of freaking out. Sure he was worried, but Seth was the kind of guy to take a problem and ask how he should work it out. There was nothing they could do to stop the growth, so, Seth just spent a lot of time with his son since that's all he could do. I'd had to explain that to Shelby when she came to me, asking why Seth wasn't having a meltdown.

Of course, I'd have been freaking out, too, if it were my son. But seriously. Was something wrong with me? Was I broken on the inside?

And slowly, I looked up to ceiling, as if I could see my grandfather in his study.

Cleaning up all the baby-changing stuff, I picked Brayden up and walked out of the bathroom. Throwing the bag back on the floor next to the couch, I went for the dining room. I had to ask before I lost my nerve.

As I walked in, I caught Dad's frown. Throwing up my mental shield, his face took on an exasperated expression.

"Hey, Jacob, could you take him for a second? I gotta ask grampa a question."

He frowned as he took Brayden. "Charlie?"

And I realized my slip. "Uh, no. I meant Carlisle."

"Everything ok?"

I smiled as nonchalantly as I could. "Sure. Just some...girl problems." I tried to stick as close to the truth as I could since he could now smell a lie. And I believed it. If there was something wrong, it was my problem, a girl problem.

"Ah. Go for it."

I kissed his cheek and then went for the stairs. Shaking my hands out before I knocked on the door, I took a deep breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

"Come on in, Nessie," he said after I'd knocked.

He was bent over his notes. A microscope and several petri dishes of blood samples were laid out beside his elbow. He'd been studying all kinds of things. The differences between the two types of wolves, and the effect imprinting has on the blood were two of his main studies.

He looked up as the door shut behind me, closing the journal. Smiling, he motioned toward the chair in front of his desk.

"Have a seat, hun. What can I do for you?"

Sitting down, I sighed. "I need a favor actually."

His eyebrows rose. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"It might sound weird, but I need you to...to check me out."

Instantly, worry traced his features. "How so? Is everything ok?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I'm scared there might be something wrong with me. Reproductively speaking."

His eyebrows rose in understanding. "Ah." And then he frowned. "Nessie, it's perfectly natural for a woman to want a baby after a friend has had one."

I shook my head. "That's not it. I just want to make sure. I mean, Jacob and I have been...um, intimate...numerous times. And as you know we can't use protection. It just seems odd. Like I said, I just want to make sure."

Standing up, he came around the desk to kneel in front of me and took my hand. "Ok. I will take a look. But just know, it's not always the woman. Sometimes, it can be the man."

I shook my head. "It wouldn't be Jacob. He's the alpha. His genes have to carry on."

"Not necessarily. Generational glitches happen all the time, sweetie. But let's focus on you, ok? I have a feeling Walker won't be using the medical room so let me get that situated. When would you like to do this?"

That answer I'd known since before I walked in the room. "After Jacob goes on patrol tonight. Seth is only on a half patrol today just to get back in the swing of things, testing his ability to be away from Shelby and Brayden. Jacob's going to cover the rest of it."

For a long moment, he just studied me. "So, he's not to know about this?"

I shook my head. "If there's something wrong, I want him to hear it from me. If everything's ok, I'll tell him I suspected but that I'm fine." At the look he gave me, I said, "I'm not going to lie to him. I just...want this done alone. Between me and you, as my doctor."

He nodded. "Ok. I suppose I can understand. Let me get the room set up."

"Thank you, grampa."

His expression melted. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

**JPOV**

Something was up with Nessie, and I tried to hide that I knew that. As soon as she'd left, Caden had turned to me.

"Jacob. Jacob?"

I shook my head. "Yeah?" Looking down, I found Brayden fast asleep, his little fist in his mouth.

Everyone was staring at me when I looked back up.

"I was thinking that we may need to pay another visit."

"Visit?"

"To your cousins up north."

Brayden squirmed, his face scrunching up as if he were about to get fussy. Already, I knew that face, so I started rocking from side to side. In a matter of moments he calmed down.

"Why?"

Caden shared a look with Lucy and Ethan. "Tristan was holed up there with them. If the chief was still soft on them, they might be up there. Or the chief might know where he went."

I understood what he meant. If we could find Tristan while he was still injured, we could capture him. Though he still had some of his wolves around him, they weren't a match to my entire pack. And their leader was injured. They wouldn't leave him behind. If anything, they'd fight to protect him.

Finally, I nodded. "Yeah. Let's plan for that."

"Plan for what?"

Looking over, I found Nessie standing in the doorway. She looked a little more relaxed than she had when she'd left the room. She came over to sit next to me and stroked Brayden's head gently while he snoozed away. Studying her, I figured out what was bothering me. It was the look in her eyes. They were happy, but also sad, every time she looked at Brayden or Leila. Did she want a baby? Now?

Adjusting, I managed to stroke her cheek with my thumb. When she looked up at me, I gave her a questioning look.

"You ok?"

She smiled. "Yes, Jacob. I'm fine."

An acrid smell drifted from her. It wasn't strong, just a whiff, as if it wasn't quite a lie but definitely not the truth. I gave her another look, this one telling her that I knew she was lying. The smile vanished and her eyes dipped back down to Brayden. And then I realized that she was touching me, but I wasn't getting any flashes of her thoughts. She was blocking from me.

Opening my mouth to call bullshit, I didn't make it.

She looked up at me, eyes clear once more. "What are we planning for?"

For a moment I just stared at her. The wolf inside me didn't like that she was lying to us. He wanted to force a growl out and make her tell us the truth. She was our mate, my wife. The lie didn't feel right, but I pushed the wolf down, letting the lie go. Maybe she had a good reason, because after all we'd been through, she knew I couldn't stand the hiding or the thought-blocking.

"Well?" she prompted, giving me the look saying that she wasn't about to spill.

Looking at Caden, he nodded. "We're going to go back up to the Makah reservation."

"What? Why?"

"Because Tristan might be up there, or the chief might know where he is."

"Oh."

The wolf inside me was getting louder despite my efforts to contain him. I needed to get away from her before I did something I'd regret. I hadn't really realized how important the promise not to lie was even though by the scent it had been a little, white lie. The wolf still didn't like disobedience from her. Of all the wolves, it was worse coming from her. So because I knew she probably had a good reason, I handed Brayden to her and stood up.

"I'm gonna go relieve Seth. I'm in the mood for a run."

"Jake-"

"I'll see ya at home, Ness," I said over my shoulder as I walked out of the room.

Esme offered me a smile as I went for the kitchen door. Knowing I'd phase as soon as the door was closed behind me, I slid off my wedding band and handed it to Esme for safekeeping. She'd heard that I was running so she just took it with a nod.

As soon as the door closed behind me, I leaped and phased. Digging my paws into the ground, I took off, heading for the river on the other side of Edward and Bella's cottage. Various voices from all the patrol groups greeted me, but I was too preoccupied to reply.

_Jake?_

_Hey, Seth. You can go home if you want._

_Uh, I just got out here. You're not supposed to relieve me for a couple hours._

_I know._

I could almost see his wolf expression, eyebrows popping up.

_You wanna tell me what's going on? Everything ok at the house?_

I couldn't help but smile._ Your woman and son are fine. I just needed some air._

_Uh huh, 'cause the house doesn't have that much oxygen._

_Shut up, man._

_Come on, Jake. Talk. Remember the last time we talked? You felt tons better. Now go._

Sighing, I stopped at the river, grabbing a drink. The woods were alive today. Though it was cold, the sun was out, filtering through the trees.

_She's hiding something from me._

_Like what?_

_I don't know._ And then something flittered through my mind, something totally off track.

Seth snorted. _She's not leaving you, idiot. She just married your dumb ass. Show me why you think she's hiding something._

Even though I knew that others could hear me, see what I was seeing in my head, I showed him. Mentally, his frown eased up.

_Dude, she's worried. I ask Shelby all the time if she's ok, and though she says she's fine, I get the same scent from her. It's just worry, Jake. Of course, they're worried. Tristan is still out there, healing. And we haven't heard from or seen Jane in a year. Hell, they could be holed up together somewhere. Not to mention, there are now small children running around the pack. Henry, Leila, Claire, and now Brayden. That's cause enough to worry._

Something about what he said made a memory surface. Ness and I had been laying in bed, my hand stroking her smooth, flat stomach. She'd worried that she couldn't have kids. I'd told her we'd adopt if that was the case. And then today, she'd been holding Brayden before going up to see Carlisle.

Worried? Yes. About Tristan? No. She was the kind of woman to deal with stuff when it came at her. She wouldn't worry about him until he came back into the picture. Same went for Jane.

_That would explain Carlisle, Jake. Maybe she's worried she can't give you kids. Women are like that, especially when their men want kids. Men who want kids are a rarity, or so I've heard. Don't stress. Let her deal with this. I can almost guarantee you that she'll come to you when she feels it's right. Remember, Jake. You have to let her deal with herself sometimes. Not everything needs to be done as a couple. Even if you are married. If it turns out she can't have kids, maybe she wants time to come to terms with it on her own._

_How'd you get so damn smart?_

He mentally grinned at me._ I'm a father now, Jake. Apparently that job description comes with wisdom. But also, the two of you are my best friends. I pay attention when the two of you are blinded. But also, Shelby is really informative. When I woman wants to deal with something on her own and goes to certain lengths to make sure that happens, just let her be. Show that you support her by not demanding to know everything. She needs to keep her individuality._

Tossing it all around, I decided that he was right. She'd come to me. Though Nessie was strong, she'd need emotional support no matter the outcome of any exam or test.

All I needed to do was trust her.

**RPOV**

"Ness, sweetheart, Carlisle is ready."

Shaking myself out of my own head, I found Dad in the doorway, smiling gently.

"Ready?" Shelby asked looking between the two of us. "Ready for what?"

I handed Brayden back to her and smiled. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Ness-,"

"Shelby, I'm ok."

She tucked her son into her arms but gave me a serious look. "Do you want me to come with?"

I shook my head. I was tempted because I was scared that Carlisle would find something. But I needed to do this on my own. "Not this time, Shelbs. But thanks."

As I passed her, I kissed the top of her head. Dad gave me a curious look as I passed him. Apparently, Carlisle was trying hard not to think about what we were about to do. Otherwise, Dad would know about it.

Ascending the stairs, I left him in the doorway of the dining room. When I got to the door of the medical room, I took a deep breath. The bed looked like it had the night Shelby had given birth to Brayden. The stirrups were up, but the sheets were clean. No doubt everything had been sterilized a hundred times over. A gown was draped over the mattress. Closing the door, I took a deep breath and went for the bed.

I knew Jacob knew something was up. Especially after how he'd acted once I'd come back downstairs. My scent must not have been eau de truth, but I couldn't help it. Sure I was fine, but a part of me was scared and freaking out.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Carlisle ducked into the room. "Hey, sweetheart. You ready?"

I nodded.

"Ok, first I'm going to take some blood. Sometimes blood is more telling than the body parts. Hop up on the bed for me."

I did as he asked while he got the needle and tubes ready, as well as a blood pressure cuff. He went through the motions in silence, for which I was grateful. I was thinking about everything, trying not to jump to conclusions. I mean, Cricket had said that I would have a first born son. But what if she was wrong? She said she never was, but there was a first time for everything.

Thinking of that made me think of her. Where were she and Trey? What was she after? And had she had her vision yet?

"Ok, Ness. I've got what I need from that. If you'll lie down and place your legs in the stirrups, please."

I did so while he snapped on some gloves. It should have been weird doing this with my grandfather, but honestly, there was nobody else I would trust more.

I only hoped he had good news.

**WalkerPOV**

Christa, Embry, Tricia, and I were all gathered outside the front door to my parents' house. It was the same as I remembered, but now a part of my past. It didn't feel right being here, thinking of this as home. My home was with Christa. Before we'd left, Caden had explained the concept of true mates. He'd known that that's what Christa was to me from the very beginning. Looking up at the house, I knew I could never live here again.

"Walker? You don't have to knock," Tricia said. "No matter where you live, you'll always be welcome here."

On the way here, Christa had suggested that I go stay with her on the rez. It really didn't feel like "moving too fast". She just understood that my life was no longer here. I wasn't the old Walker. I was very different now, and needed to be around other people like me. Mom and Dad would never understand why I had to leave in the middle of the night to run patrols, or because something had happened and I was needed. They wouldn't understand my world, Tricia's world. Though I knew she wouldn't leave Mom and Dad yet. She'd wait to give them time to adjust to me being gone.

I laughed to myself.

"What?" Tricia asked.

"Mom and Dad were ready to see me off to college, but they won't understand why I'm leaving to move onto the rez. It's weird how that works."

Christa stroked my back. "It's because they won't know where you are. College is safer, in a way. They know where you're supposed to be, and what you're supposed to be doing. Living with me, being part of a pack of werewolves that they can't know anything about? That's totally different."

Reaching back, I took her hand and laced our fingers together. "Help me out?"

She squeezed my hand. "Always."

Before I could touch the doorknob, the door flew open.

"Walker!"

Mom flung herself onto me, and I grunted. My body was still tight and sore, but I'd stretched some earlier with Carlisle. Nevertheless, I wasn't ready for that kind of impact. But I wrapped my arms around her as the familiar scent of lavender filled my nose.

"Hey, Mom." Digging my face in her dark hair, I inhaled that scent until it would be burned into my memory. Once I left here today, I knew I'd rarely be back, if only to keep them safe. If they didn't know much about me, there wasn't much to tell. Tristan's wolves would be able to scent the truth on them. They'd be protected by the truth.

While she held tight to me, I felt her small body shudder as she cried into my shirt. Giving her and Dad up would kill a part of me, but I could watch over them. Maybe stop by every now and then. But until Tristan and that bloodsucker were taken down, I couldn't risk their lives. And neither could the rest of the pack even though Jacob had promised to keep the patrols around the house and Chief Swan's.

When she pulled away, she cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "I'm so glad you're home."

Reaching back, I gripped Christa's fingers. "Actually, Mom, that's what I'm here about. I'm not coming to stay. This is just a visit."

Stepping back, she stared at me. "What? What are you talking about?" And then she finally noticed everybody gathered around us. "You're coming home, Walker. Right? You're better."

I started shaking my head when from in the house I heard, "June? What's going on?"

A moment later, the door opened further to reveal my dad. We just stared at each other before Mom moved out of the way so Dad could step forward. We hugged, the whole father/son backslap happening.

"Hey, son."

"Hey, Dad."

He pulled back, scrubbing his face. "What are you doing out here? Get in the house, it's cold."

Behind me, I heard Embry tell Tricia, "I'll just go for a run, ok? We can meet up later."

As he was about to take off, Dad looked at Tricia, sighed, and said, "Get in here, Call. Let's learn to be civil, shall we?"

Embry nodded and took Tricia's hand.

We all trooped into the house, sitting around the dining room table. The wall clock ticked as we all just sat there and stared at each other.

Finally, Mom broke the silence. "Walker says he's not coming home."

Dad's head whipped over in my direction. "Excuse me?"

I sighed. Christa squeezed my hand. "Sir, we've never met, but my name is Christa. I'm sure you've watched the news and read the papers. You know there's something weird going on. Now we can't give you details, but Walker is now a part of that weirdness, as are me and Embry, and it would be easier if Walker stayed closer to us. I offered him a room at my house on the rez. He'll be safe there and close to you if you need something."

He shook his head. "No. My son is staying here. He's been gone for too long."

"Dad-"

He pointed at me. "No."

"Dad," I said louder and with more force. "I'm not staying here. This is a visit."

"The hell it is." His face was turning red and his hands were starting to shake. Those sharp eyes went to my hand linked with Christa's. "This is just about a girl. You're eighteen."

I sat forward in my seat. "Exactly. I'm eighteen. And this isn't about Christa...ok, maybe it is a little. But it's not what you think. To put it in simple terms, I am still sick. I will always be sick. You can't keep me here. I can't tell you everything, but I'm leaving. I'm sorry."

Dad's eyes went to Christa. "This is your fault."

She glared at him. "Actually, it's not. You want someone to blame? His name is Tristan. And if there's anything left of him by the time we're done, you can have a piece of him. But don't you dare talk to me like that. Walker is leaving to keep you safe. That's all you need to know." She stood up. To my surprise, Embry followed her. I shared a look with Tricia who was staring at Dad with the "I told you so" look. Apparently something had gone down while I'd been out. Christa held her hand out to me. "Come on. Let's get the things you want or need."

Twenty minutes and a lot of arguing later, I walked out of the only home I'd ever known with a duffel over my shoulder. Mom and Dad followed. Everybody else was carrying a bag for me.

"Walker, son, you can't just walk out," Dad said angrily.

I turned on my heel in time to see Embry grab Dad's wrist. He'd been about to grab my arm, no doubt to spin me around. Dad glared up at Embry, but Embry didn't back down.

"Yes," he said, throwing Dad's arm away from him. "He can. He's eighteen, and has every right to leave."

"You stay away from my daughter," Dad growled.

Embry's grin was mostly evil. "Only if she sends me away. She's old enough to know what she wants."

"And I'll be eighteen in a month," Tricia piped up.

Dad turned his glare on her. "You stay out of this."

She crossed her arms over her stomach. "No. Not when it involves me."

"Enough."

We all turned to Mom.

"Walker, it's your life. And you can't stay here forever. If you feel that you have to leave, then you leave."

"June!"

"David, our boy is eighteen. He has to grow up sometime. And Tricia will see Embry as long as he stays a gentleman. He's given no reason for your aggression. I will not let this family be destroyed because we can't be understanding. Now, calm down, David. Let them go."

I stepped in close to my father. "Dad, it's not like I'm never coming back. I will, I swear it. There's just something really big going on, and I need room to move. Tricia is staying here, ok? She'll have contact with me. It's ok. This will work out. Just give me a chance."

We stared at each other before he pulled me into another hug. "I just got you back, son."

"I know, Dad. I know."

Pulling away, he clapped me on the neck. "You pick up the phone when I call, you hear me?"

I nodded. "I'll do what I can."

Mom shoved Dad out of the way so she could wrap me up in her arms again. "I love you, my baby boy." She stroked my neck. "And get your hair cut."

We all laughed.

"I will. I love you, Mom. I'll check on you and Dad when I can, ok?"

She nodded. Dad went over to Embry and stiffly held out his hand, which Embry took just as stiffly. Mom got a hold of Christa and made her promise to take care of me.

Ten more minutes later, we were walking away from the house. It was hard to let go of the normalcy that I'd always hated, but now kind of missed. Christa's hand in mine, though, reminded me that a whole new book was being written now, and as the main character of my life, I had to participate. As long as my parents, and my sister, stayed safe, I'd be ok. Shelby had been right.

I had two families to protect now.

* * *

**Bwahahahaha! Walker has returned! And how do we feel about him? Let me know! Also...Nessie? Right or wrong to keep from Jake? I wanna hear what you have to say so please, pretty please, review! They make me happy! Love you! xoxoxoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok, guys. Chapter 7. This one was difficult. Walker shocked the hell out of me and I had to come to terms with it, and figure out where to cut his POV off. THE END OF THIS CHAPTER IS DARK. Well according to my imagination. This story is going to be dark. Not in every chapter, but there will be a few of them. Oh, and don't worry. Lemons will come (no pun intended heehee). Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**ChristaPOV**

As we walked back toward the rez, after dropping off Tricia and Embry at the Cullen house, I stayed close to Walker. His mother glomping onto him really hadn't done him any favors. With every other step he winced. I'd tried to get him to see to Carlisle, but Edward had said that he was busy at the moment. We did stop just long enough for Alice to give him a haircut. Now, he looked the same as when I'd first seen him.

The rez was bustling today. Kids were just getting out of school. The park was crawling with screaming children. Shops and diners were busy advertising and taking down Halloween decorations in favor of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas music mixed in with normal, everyday stuff from open doors.

"I will never understand why they ruin the holidays. Can't they wait for Christmas until after Thanksgiving comes?" Walker shook his head as we made our way down the main road.

I laughed and hoisted one of his bags further up my shoulder. "Eh, I don't mind. It makes me dream of a white Christmas. All we really get here is slush, ya know? I'd love some good packing snow."

He nodded and bumped me with his arm. "Well, if we make it through this, we can go someplace that gets the good snow in winter. Sound good?"

I grinned at him. "Sounds great."

"You know, you really impressed me. How you dealt with my dad. Not many people can stand up to him like that."

I shrugged as best I could as flush crept up my face. "I guess years of wanting to do the same to my dad built up some aggression. I just didn't like the way he was talking to you."

"Well, thanks. Nobody's ever stuck up for me before. But what did he do to piss off you and Embry? I saw the look."

"I'm surprised Tricia didn't tell you. You hadn't taken off yet."

He shrugged with a sheepish expression. "I was too busy being an ass to both of you. What did he do?"

Finally, we made it to my small but cozy house. Putting down his bags, I dug my keys out of my pocket, and paused.

"It didn't happen to me, but I'm protective of my pack. Your dad insinuated that Embry would take advantage of Tricia. Granted, he is twenty-six where Tricia is only seventeen. But right now, Embry is just playing the romantic interest. Nothing big has gone down except for a few stolen kisses. Also, while you were still out of it, your parents had tried to get a hold of her at the Cullen house. She'd hung up on them when your dad told her to stay away from 'the Indian'. And then, he called Charlie when she did that, demanding that he bring her home and away from Embry."

Walker frowned. "He imprinted, right?" I nodded. "So, the way I understand it is that he can't hurt her."

I shook my head. "I could never hurt you...no matter how badly I want you." The flush bloomed full up my neck and cheeks at the admission. "Embry would rather die than hurt her, and that means he'd never force her into_ anything_ that she didn't want to do with him."

His frown to turned into a smug grin.

"Oh, shut up."

"Well, I suppose I don't mind them together. Still, she is my little sister."

"Then I guess telling you he sneaks into her room, at her request, to fall asleep with her wouldn't be a good thing?"

He gave me a look. "He what?"

I laughed. "Nothing is going on. I promise. Remember the wolf telepathy? He's always thinking about her. And really, he was against it but he can't really deny her anything."

Sighing, he looked as if he were mulling it all around before another look crossed his face. He was about to ask me something that didn't have anything to do with Tricia or Embry.

"Could you deny me?"

Blushing, I quickly turned away to busy myself with unlocking the door. Once I finally fumbled it open, I grabbed his stuff and took it inside. He followed with an amused smile.

"Well," I said dropping his bags behind the couch. "This is home now. It's small so I'm assuming you can find your-,"

Before I knew it, he'd gripped my arm to spin me around. And suddenly, his lips were on mine. At first, I was taken completely by surprise, stiff in his arms. But when he didn't pull back, only wrapped his arms around me, I sank into the feeling. Closing my eyes, I wrapped my fingers in his hair, pulling him down to me. His fingers gripped my hips, pressing the bones with his thumbs.

A low growl rumbled in his chest when he finally did what he'd wanted to do last time. His tongue snaked out to lick my lips. After a moment, I opened my mouth to him. Tentatively, his tongue slipped inside. Once it was there, though, there was nothing tentative about him. He dove into my mouth, licking and biting, pulling my body towards his.

He moved his hands down over my ass to grip my thighs. In a powerful movement, he lifted me up and started walking for the kitchen. I was jarred when he sat me on the counter, but the kiss still didn't break. We fed at each other, our tongues taking turns in the dance.

Those big hands moved up my body, over my ribcage, thumbs landing just under my breasts. My nails dug into the nape of his neck and moved around to his chest. Another rumble vibrated through him.

But then he pulled back, mouth leaving mine. A feeling of loss filled me. He'd tasted of pine and the way firewood smelled when it burned. Reminded me of Christmas, my favorite time of year.

He rested his forehead against mine, chest heaving. "I'm sorry," he panted.

"For what?" I asked, equally winded.

"I didn't mean for it to get that...intense."

That made me laugh, my arms wrapping around his neck. My legs were spread to accommodate his body. One of his hands rested on my neck, over my pulse, while the other laid on my knee, gripping my thigh.

I stroked a hand down his nicely sculpted chest. "Don't worry about that. Every woman likes when her man takes what he wants from her, especially if she's willing."

"And you're willing?"

"Always."

"Your man, huh?"

I nodded against his forehead. "That's what you'll always be even if you decide on someone else."

He chuckled. "I can promise you that that's never going to happen. After Caden explained it to me, I understood what was there the whole time. That you're my true mate. It just felt right. I'm not leaving you. Everything panned out. Tricia is happy with Embry, and I am working on being better for you."

Leaning up, I pressed a kiss to his soft lips. "Don't work on being better. Just be you, ok? I don't need anything else. I know the circumstances." I shook my head. "I don't know what you went through, but I'm here and so are you. Tricia said that I was worried. Well, I was, but more than that, I was...sad. Having you home was more important to me than your attitude toward me. I'd fight with you til the day I die, as long as you were in my life. But having you away from me? That was the hardest thing of all."

Closing his eyes, he wrapped me in his arms. "I'm so sorry, Christa. Caden says I got lucky that I found my true mate after just getting infected. Even if I hadn't been infected, though, we still would have been together, because you imprinted on me. Just now, I can protect you."

And that's when I started thinking about my parents. "What if my dad comes back?" It was totally possible. Jake couldn't be everywhere at once. My dad could totally sneak back onto the rez and do some damage before getting caught. Somehow, I knew if he came back, I'd be paralyzed with fear no matter how tough I acted.

Walker leaned back so he could meet my eyes. His voice lowered into a dangerous growl "If he comes back, I will rip him apart myself long before Jake can get to him. He will never touch you again. He even looks at you, I'll rip his eyes out."

A shiver ran down my spine. Either that was incredibly hot or incredibly scary. Walker was insanely serious in those threats. The scent of truth ran off of him in waves. But no matter if it was hot or scary, warmth pulsed through me to know that he cared that much.

"What?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I still just can't believe that we're...like this, you know? I expected us to be the way we were before you took off."

He brushed some hair out of my face. "Did they tell you what happened the night I took off?"

I nodded. "You'd caught Embry in her room and had had an argument with him. You asked Tricia if she really didn't love you. When she said she didn't, you ran off."

He nodded, thumb stroking over my knee. "That was the first time she'd ever point-blank told me that. And I knew. I knew there was a reason you had come into my life. And now, when I retrace things, I see that it all happened because of Tristan. I got pulled into your world, and then Embry met Tricia. And I got stuck with you on those patrols because Jacob has a cruel sense of humor, or that's how I saw it at the time." He chuckled. "And that damn kiss. It had all worked out perfectly, us needing a cover in the grocery store. I wanted nothing more than to lay you down right there." There was the chuckle again. "I've never been with a girl before, never really had those types of thoughts either. Not even with Trish. But you? That day made my blood boil and I tried so hard to tamp it down into nothing."

"You're a virgin?" I asked incredulously.

He chuckled again at my expression. "Yeah. I guess I'm like my dad. He was the jock-type, too. Always had girls drooling over him, but he never wanted any of them. He only wanted my mom, who hated his guts." Then he gave me a look. "Are you?"

I knew the blush spread like wildfire when I nodded. "I figured I'd end up with someone experienced. Actually, I always thought I'd never end up with anybody."

He laughed again. "Well, we'll figure it out together. I'm sure we can get the basics down. And you have me now. I'm serious, Christa. I will make sure you get your fairytale like you deserve if it's the last thing I do."

That made me laugh, too. "So...you plan on me, huh?"

His hand came up to brush my cheek. "I plan on us."

**Later that night.**

**ChristaPOV**

As soon as I'd laid down, I'd tossed and turned. A couple hours later, I gave up and stared at the ceiling. Walker was in the bedroom across the house. I wondered if he was sleeping. Probably. Despite his words, I still had doubts. I didn't want us to end up the way we had before he'd left. I couldn't handle that.

A moment later, my door opened and a shadow fell across my bed. Closing my eyes, I pretended to be asleep. For some reason, I didn't want him to know that I was just laying here, staring at the ceiling. I rolled over the way I thought I would if I were asleep.

The door closed, cutting the light off. I thought he'd just come to check on me and then leave. My mistake. My bed moved as if someone had just sat on it. And then the sheets rustled, the bed jiggled. At my back, I felt a line of heat.

"I couldn't sleep," he whispered.

My breath caught. I had a choice to still pretend to be asleep or tell him I couldn't sleep either.

I went with the latter. "Me either," I whispered back.

I could almost hear his smile as he moved closer. The shock of my life happened when one of his arms snaked between me and the mattress while the other snaked over my waist. The arm under me came up to cross my chest and grip my shoulder, like a seatbelt in a car. That warm arm rested between my breasts. Luckily, I was wearing a cami and some shorts. I could tell that he was wearing boxers.

Nuzzling my hair out of the way, his warm lips pressed to the nape of my neck. "I just couldn't stand that we were in the same house and not in the same room. If you want me to leave, I will."

"No," I said quickly. "Stay."

"Always."

After that, we were both quiet, just listening to each other breathe. I stroked my fingers up and down his arm while his fingers stroked the skin of my shoulder and hip.

"God, you're tiny," he finally said.

I chuckled. "That's what a lot of people tell me."

"It's hard to believe that such a big animal comes out of you." He nuzzled my neck, on the skin just behind my ear.

Slowly, sleep started to suck me under.

"'And though she be but little, she is fierce.'"

"Where is that from?"

"Shakespeare."

He squeezed me. "I like it," he whispered into my ear.

Goosebumps erupted all over my skin, but my eyes were losing the battle that sleep waged. Eventually, his fingers stilled, breathing deepened, and body relaxed. He'd fallen asleep with his lips on my skin. Finally, I grinned, and let myself go.

I let myself hope as I drifted off in the arms of my imprint.

**JPOV**

Walking through the door of my house, I was exhausted. I'd run and run until Embry forced me home with the support of the others. I'd stopped to get my wedding band from Esme and then came up here. Sighing, I threw my shirt on the couch. The fire was going, a lamp on next to the couch. The light over the stove was on but other than that, there wasn't much going on. And Nessie was nowhere to be seen.

"Ness?" I called. "Baby, where are you?"

A moment later, I heard soft thumps coming from the stairs that led to the upper floor.

"Shhhh," she hissed as her socked feet skidded on the hardwood floor.

"What?" I said in alarm. I held my arm out to catch her.

She gently pulled away from me. "I took Leila and Henry tonight. Leila just went down, but Henry is, kind of, still awake. He wants you to say goodnight to him." Reaching out, she squeezed my fingers. "I'm gonna go get ready for bed while you do that."

As she turned to go for the bedroom, I gently grabbed her arm and spun her around to pull her to me. Before she could say anything, I planted my mouth on hers in a deep, probing kiss. She opened to me, and I deepened it further. We stood like that for a good two minutes, my hands digging into her hair, before I let her go.

"I love you, Nessie. You know that right?"

While she got her breath back, she nodded. "Yeah. I know that. I love you, too." Reaching on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to my lips. "I'll see you downstairs."

And then she took off. I watched until she completely disappeared before heading up the other set of stairs. As predicted Henry was already passed out. But I tucked up the covers, kissed his forehead, and turned out the nightlight. I made sure the baby monitor was on before leaving the door open a crack. Next I went to check on Leila. She was fast asleep, a shirt of Nessie's hanging on the rail of the bed. I didn't kiss or touch her because she was sensitive to things like that, and I didn't want to wake her up. Checking her monitor as well, I left the door open a crack like Henry's.

Making my way across the ground floor, I turned out lights and blew out candles. The fire was slowly dying so I didn't bother with it. Grabbing my shirt, I went for the stairs to our bedroom. Ness was already in bed. Surprisingly, it looked as if she weren't wearing anything other than the sheets. Stripping down and tossing my clothes in the hamper, I crawled into bed beside her. My tired body groaned as I went down.

Instantly, Ness scooted into the crook of my body. I wrapped my arms around her.

Kissing her temple, I said, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I know that, Jake."

"Ok, I'm just letting you know. I'm always here for when you're ready to talk about something."

She pulled back a little to study me with those chocolate brown eyes. Taking a deep breath, she cuddled back into me but said, "I asked Carlisle to check me out."

Though I wanted to freak out, I fought it and stayed calm. "Ok. For what?"

"I was worried I may not be able to conceive, so I asked him to run tests." Pulling away from me, she flopped over onto her back, holding the sheet to her chest. It didn't look like she was going to finish.

"And? Did he have any results?"

She nodded, eyes shiny. "There's nothing wrong with me," she whispered.

I grinned. "That's great." When she didn't share my enthusiasm, I cuddled up to her again. "What's wrong?"

"Why haven't we conceived yet, then?"

I stroked her stomach and waist. "Ness, sometimes it just happens. Maybe we haven't hit at the right moment. Sam and Emily have been trying for years, long before you came around, and they just now had Leila. Did Carlisle say anything?"

A small smile played over her mouth. It was a relief to see it. "He said that the body and mind know. That my subconscious probably realizes how much stress I'm in and know it wouldn't be good to get pregnant right now. Still, it's hard to believe that."

"Not really. It makes sense. I remember when my sisters and I all lived together, and we were in school. Rachel would get so frustrated with projects and was so stressed out. She'd get sick from the stress. Every time exams came around, she was sick. Your body knows, Ness. Carlisle's right. It's just not a good time for us to get pregnant, but it will happen. Remember Cricket?"

She rolled away from me, eyes almost overflowing with tears. "She could be wrong, Jake. Just because she's never been wrong before doesn't mean there's not a first time for everything."

There was no way I'd let her go through this alone, so I scooted in behind her, again wrapping her up. "Nessie, I believe her. There's just a part of me that believes she's telling the truth. Baby, please, don't beat yourself up over this. We are perfectly healthy. I truly think that your body knows that it couldn't handle a baby right now. The stress and potential danger? Most of me would die if you got pregnant and something happened to_ both_ of you. I mean, just the thought of _you_ getting hurt again kills me. Don't think I still don't blame myself for every time you've ended up facing Tristan."

That got her attention. She rolled over to glare at me. "Don't you dare-,"

"Shut up and listen to me, Ness." Surprised flared across her face but the glare remained. "It's my fault. Period. You're not going to get me to believe otherwise so don't try. If I hadn't been injured this last time, I could have had him. But he hit me in the weak spot and I failed you. I will be ready for the next time he shows up, and I will kill him."

Her features softened. "Jacob-,"

I shook my head. "I wish it didn't have to come down to that, but he's hurt too many people. He's nearly taken you away from me, almost killed me. I'm done, Ness. He's done."

Eyes still shining, she stroked my cheek. "Ok, Jacob. Ok. Maybe you're right. Weirder things have happened, right?"

She was trying to convince herself more than me, but it was something at least. Plastering myself to her back, I kissed the spot behind her ear.

"It's ok, Nessie. Right now, we just need to worry about surviving this mess. Then, we can worry about babies. We have kids right now to worry about, two of them snoozing upstairs, alright? Let's worry about what we have at the moment."

Sighing, the tension leaving her, she wrapped my arms tighter around her. "You're right. I'm being selfish."

"I didn't say that."

"No, but it's still true. I am, and I can't be. We have a pack to take care of. And I know you think I don't think it's true, but really maybe my body does know that I couldn't handle it right now. I mean, what if Nyla catches me somehow? I can't be glued to your side. Something is bound to happen. So, you're right. And I'm sorry for being hysterical."

I chuckled. "Baby, you're allowed to be. It's a logical fear for a woman, and I suppose for a man if he wants kids." I shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe I'll get Carlisle to check me out, even though that would be awkward. But still, if it makes you feel better, I'll, um, get his input."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Of course. Anything to make you realize that it's just not the right time. Also, you don't have to tell me everything so don't feel guilty."

"You could smell it on me earlier, couldn't you?"

I nodded again. "It was dull but yeah. It was a lie but not a lie. You were fine, but worried." I kissed her cheek. "A lie, but not a lie. I love you, and if you need to have some alone time, I can understand that. When I'm not on my patrols, we're together. Maybe we need to plan for some time to spend with family. I could handle a guys night."

She nodded. "Yeah. So, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Caden, Lucy, Ethan, Beau, and I were going to make plans to go back up to the Makah rez. Have a little chat."

She frowned. "Didn't you threaten to kill him the next time you had to go up there?"

"Yeah."

Her frown deepened but she didn't say anything.

"What?"

"I just...if you're just going back up there to see if Tristan is there, the threat of death seems a little weak, doesn't it? I mean, you told him that if you had to go up there again that you'd rip him apart, right?"

I sighed. She was right.

"Do you really think he's up there?"

"It's a possibility. Like I told you, there'd been evidence of the camp the last time. If that was their refuge before, it would make sense that they'd go back with Tristan hurt."

She frowned again.

"What?"

"I don't want to keep pointing things out…"

"Ness, I value your opinion. If you see something I don't, which is possible since you're a woman and notice everything, please tell me."

She rolled over onto her back again and chewed at her bottom lip. "It just doesn't make sense to me actually. Of course, it would have made sense for him to go back up there if he'd had his entire pack, but he doesn't. We do. And also, he camped outside the reservation. Wouldn't he have been safer inside the rez from you guys?" She shook her head. "Something isn't adding up."

When she put it like that, it really didn't add up. But I was too tired to think it through. This whole mess was exhausting me down to my bones.

"Ok, well, let's get some sleep. The kiddos will be up early. We can talk about it with the others tomorrow."

She nodded and yawned. Rolling over into me, she snuggled up to my chest, warm breath brushing over me.

I kissed the top of her head. "We'll get through this. I promise."

**WalkerPOV**

The next morning, I woke up staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. The sheet was down around my waist, as was an arm. Looking to my left, I found Christa on her stomach, her face pressed into my shoulder. Her long, curly hair fell down her back, some of it on my chest.

Smiling, I thought that I could totally get used to waking up with her every morning. This was totally worth the whole infection thing. Watching her sleep, I stroked her arm all the way to her shoulder, then played my fingers through her hair.

That was the moment that I realized I would do anything to keep her safe. Even do what had happened to me. Her vulnerability in this moment brought my protective instinct roaring to the forefront of my mind. And for the first time, I felt my wolf inside me purr in agreement. Normally, the wolf was quiet inside me. Ever since I'd shifted for the first time, we'd come to an agreement that I was in charge. Period. But when it came to Christa, he had to bring in his opinion. Luckily, when it came to her, we were always in agreement.

Beside me, she grumbled. She rolled, her body sliding up against mine. My body responded. It was kind of shocking because I'd never woken up hard, which sounded odd but was true. There were only a couple times in my life that I could remember getting hard for a woman. Though I'd never admit it out loud so Seth could hear it, Shelby had been one of those couple times. I couldn't remember the other. But then Christa had come into my life, and I'd been perpetually aroused. Not that I'd let her know that.

Snuggling into my side, she sighed contentedly. I brought my other hand up to stroke her hair. Slowly, her eyes opened. Surprise flared for a moment before her expression smoothed into a smile.

"Morning," she mumbled.

"Morning, beautiful. How'd you sleep?"

"Better than I have in a while."

I kissed her forehead. "Tell me that wasn't because I left."

She shrugged noncommittally.

"I'm sorry, Christa."

Her hand brushed up my stomach to stroke my chest. "Stop apologizing. Please. It happened, and it's in the past. Let's just...move on. I'm just worried about you, about what you went through. I don't like it."

I squeezed her to me. "I'm ok, Christa. Like I said, you helped me get through that even though you weren't there. To be honest, I didn't sleep all those nights I made my way back here. And last night was the first night I slept since I woke up in that hospital room."

"So you didn't sleep that night I was in the bed with you?"

I shook my head, and swallowed hard. "I couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in that cave where they had me tied...but instead of me getting tortured, it was you. And then Tricia. And then my mom. Over and over. That's why I came in here last night. I couldn't sleep because I kept seeing you…" I shook my head, unable to even process the thought. "I needed you in my arms. The kiss on the counter helped. You help. Otherwise, I'd probably not be so calm. You ground me, keep me sane. You and Tricia. The two of you give me a reason to stay in control."

Frowning, she cuddled as close to me as she could, throwing her leg over my thigh. "Then I guess you're stuck with me because I want you safe and happy."

Chuckling, I kissed her hair. "I do believe that's the best threat I've ever received."

Her grin was bright white and gorgeous. "Well, I'll just be sure to keep it from being an empty threat."

Though I knew that we needed to keep it slow, I leaned down to press a chaste kiss to those soft lips. She returned it with a sigh.

Somewhere a phone rang.

Rolling away from me, Christa grabbed her phone off the bedside table.

"Yeah?...Yeah, he's here with me...Nah, you didn't wake us up. You need us at the house?...Sure. We'll be up in a few...Ok, bye." She rolled onto her back and looked at me. "I hope you weren't looking for anymore sleep. Jake wants us up at the Cullen house. Apparently there's a big pack to-do."

Bringing her fingers to my lips, I kissed her knuckles. I just couldn't keep my hands, or my mouth, off of her. I had to show her that I wanted her, wanted us. And women liked this kind of stuff, right? They liked their men to show affection. Well, dammit, I wasn't a pansy. I'd show her I wanted her, but not for sex. Ok, well not just for sex. Sure I wanted to go there eventually, but first I wanted her to trust that I'd be here for her.

"Nah, I think I'm good on sleep. Let's go see what boss-man wants."

Twenty minutes later, we were making our way up the porch steps of the big, white Cullen house. Members of the pack milled around watching tv or talking. The Cullens as well as Jacob, Nessie, Caden, and some others were packed into the dining room. A map was spread out over the table on one end. On the other was piles of food.

"What's up, guys?" I asked, going to stand over with Jacob, Caden, Beau, and Ethan.

Jacob and I bumped fists. The others nodded.

"We're planning a trip," Jacob said.

"Where?" I said as I looked at the map.

"North, to the Makah rez."

I frowned. "Didn't you threaten death the next time you had to go up there?"

Jacob looked at Ness who gave him a shrug. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so?"

"Uh, so it wouldn't be a great idea to weaken that threat. Why are we going up there anyway?"

Ethan stepped forward. "Tristan might be up there while he heals."

"I disagree," Ness said.

I nodded. "Me too."

Ethan looked between us. "And why is that? I spent months with the man."

I looked up to Nessie. With a flourish, I told her to go ahead with the why.

"I talked to Jake about this last night. You and the pack camped outside the rez when it would have been safer for the pack to be dispersed throughout the people. Why? Why would Tristan do that? Also, I don't think he'd go back to a place where he'd be outnumbered."

Ethan and Beau shared a look.

"What?" Jacob demanded.

Beau cleared his throat. "Your female is right. Tristan kept us camped outside the rez because they denied us entry."

It was Jacob's turn to share a look with Caden.

"I'm sorry. What?" Jacob asked. "That doesn't make sense. The chief lied to us, telling me he wasn't harboring you. We searched anyway and found the camp. He hates us."

"He lied to you because Tristan threatened his women and young girls with the males of the pack." Ethan looked vaguely uncomfortable admitting that.

I turned to him. "Excuse me?" My blood boiled with that.

"Walker," Caden said softly in warning.

I sent a glare over to him. "I'm fine." Actually, I wasn't. The girl that I'd been tortured with had been raped multiple times in front of me. Sometimes men, sometimes women. Always more than one at any one time. And not necessarily with body parts. I looked back over at Ethan. "Did he follow through on that threat?"

Ethan shook his head and then looked at Caden, nodding toward me. "He's the one Tristan tried to 'recruit', isn't he?"

Caden nodded. "He's very controlled for being newly infected, and freaking strong."

"I can hear you, you know. Answer the question. Did he follow through?"

Ethan shook his head. "No, he didn't, but he wanted to. He likes when women tell him no and actually mean it."

Gritting my teeth, I turned to Jacob. "Look, I admire that you want to find Tristan, but we don't know for sure that he's up there. And granted I think the threat against the chief's tribe by Tristan deserves a little leniency from you, I still think we need to know where Tristan is before storming up there."

"I agree with Walker," Nessie said.

"I second that." Looking over, I found Seth bouncing his son in his arms. "Jake, you need to keep the footing you have up there. The chief now knows that you're all grown up, and ready for battle against him. But if he was threatened by Tristan, he had no choice but to protect his people. You'd have done the same. But I think finding Tristan is more important than apologies." He turned to look at me. "How do you propose we find out where he is?"

Ever since I'd been told about the prisoners, I'd wondered why we hadn't been using them. On the way up here, Christa had told me that Edward had said they'd started rambling off some weird things to keep from thinking about Tristan's pack business. The others that had been on our side or neutral had either been let go or not had any useful information.

"Are there any prisoners who were close to Tristan?"

Jacob shook his head. "We're getting nothing from them. Not even Edward can get anything."

Ignoring him, I looked to Ethan. "Are there?"

For a moment, his gaze darted between me, Jacob, and Caden before he nodded. "One. Nicolai."

Crossing my arms, I knew my smile was more of a sneer and snarl.

"Then I guess it's time to talk to Nicolai."

A few minutes later, I was standing outside the door to the cement cell. Turning around, I knew I'd find Christa close to me. I stroked her cheek.

"I need you to go inside."

"What? Why?"

I just stared at her, debating on whether or not to tell her anything. Finally I said, "Because I'm going to be the monster."

Panic crossed her expression. "What does that mean?"

"Please. Just go inside."

For a few heartbeats, she just stared at me with a sad expression. She knew that something was going down and that it would be at my hands. Reaching up, she cupped my hand to her cheek and leaned into it with her eyes closed. Eventually, she kissed my palm and threw herself away from me. Without another look back, she disappeared into the house.

Caden clapped me on the back. "Are you sure about this, mate?"

Staring at where Christa disappeared, I nodded. "I learned from what happened to me. And sometimes we have to do things we don't necessarily want to do to keep the people we love safe."

Jacob frowned. "What exactly are you going to do?"

I looked over at him, and I knew it wasn't a happy look. I'd already started folding away my humanity and morality. My thoughts from this morning stuck with me. The image of Christa popped into my head, and I knew that I would survive what I was about to do. It wasn't just her I was protecting. It was the pack, those related to them, and their children. Especially the kids. Henry, Leila, and Brayden needed to be protected at all costs. They were the future of the pack and the rez. I could sacrifice a piece of my humanity for them.

"Walker?" Jacob asked warily. I knew he saw the look in my eyes.

"Don't worry about what I'm going to do."

He stepped forward to give me a steady gaze. "I'd never ask any one of my pack members to do something I'm not willing to do."

I clapped a hand to his arm. "I know that. But let me do this. This bastard was tight with Tristan. If he's as tough as Caden says, then it's going to be tough persuading. All I ask is that you keep Tricia and Christa away from here."

A type of sadness filled Jacob's face.

I shook my head. "Don't feel sorry for me. I was the idiot who took off not knowing what was out there. But at least I learned something out there. Let me use it."

Taking a deep breath, he managed to pull himself together. "Alright. Caden and I will keep the women away."

"Good man."

One last look with Caden, and I turned to walk down the concrete steps. The door was pure silver and must have cost a pretty penny. There was a brass handle so that I wouldn't burn myself on the silver. There was no handle on the inside. As soon as the door shut behind me, someone locked the door and flipped on the dim lights. One rail went around the room. Attached to that rail were handcuffs. Also silver. In a little alcove in the back was a toilet and sink. The fifteen or so wolves inside all glared and growled at me with amber eyes and fangs bared. Ignoring them, I let my wolf fully take over. All my emotions left me, except for our love for Christa. Other than that, it was just a bottomless barrel of rage. The wolf had protected me through the worst of the torture except for when silver was used. Then, I'd been on my own. And I remembered everything.

Flashes of what had happened moved over my reddening vision as I looked for Nicolai. Caden and Ethan had described him. Out of all the wolves in the room, he was the highest in the pack order. Third in line. As I walked, the wolf searched through my memories. The knives, the claws ripping through my, our, body. Slowly, so fucking slowly. Skin ripped like leather being torn. My insides seeing the light of day, something that should never happen, as they landed on the ground. Many times, I'd nearly suffocated from being strung by my wrists and held off the ground, toes barely brushing the dirt.

In the center of the room, chains and cuffs hung from the ceiling. The wolf liked the idea even though he wanted to whimper at the same time from the memory. In my head he snapped and growled. Pushing him further to the forefront, I could feel the rest of my humanity slip. Pain tingled at my fingertips as the claws began pushing through my skin. I knew my eyes had already changed to pale green. And my canines were elongating.

"You're one of us," one of the females whispered.

Turning, I snapped at her with a low growl.

She gasped as she saw me. "You belong with us, with Tristan."

Snarling, I rushed her, gripped her throat and held her off the ground. "One more word, and I'll rip out your tongue." My voice was just a low bass vibration. The wolf had fully taken over.

When she started to struggle for air, I dropped her and continued my search. After another minute, I found him. He was in the far corner, watching me with interest.

"I wondered when you'd get to me." He gave me a bored look. "Took you long enough. Caden must be slipping."

Baring my fangs, I grabbed his cuffs and unhooked them to drag him to center of the room. They were fed just enough to stay alive, but not enough to keep their strength. Bringing the chains down from the ceiling, I hooked him up, and then strung him up. He gave me that bored look once more while I glared at him.

"Where's Tristan?"

Surprise flared for a moment before a smile played over his lips. "He escaped? And you can't find him? Well, well, well."

Without warning, the wolf in me used my body to slash out across his chest. He hissed and bared his fangs.

I reigned in the wolf enough to talk clearly. "Caden injured him pretty bad, and I know he wouldn't go back up to the reservation. So where would he go?"

Nicolai just stared at me.

I punched him in the face.

His head snapped back, blood spraying from his lip and nose.

"Where, Nicolai?"

He spit at me. "Go to hell."

"Already been there. Where?"

Silence.

Using one claw, I stabbed him in the stomach and kept it there, twisting. He still didn't scream. The scream is what the wolf in me was after. So, with one mind, we pulled that claw to the side, opening the flesh, tearing the skin and meat.

Now, he screamed.

Blood poured from his gut to land at my feet.

Stepping up close to him, I put a claw under his chin to bring his eyes to mine.

"Where. Is. Tristan?"

**JPOV**

For an hour, Caden and I sat outside the cell. More than once I had to pace, to walk off echoes of the screams coming from inside. Caden had called Walker impressive for making Nicolai scream that loud. Apparently, we shouldn't have been able to hear him. Didn't that just make me feel better.

Now I was just leaning against a tree that was close. There'd been a lull in the screams for about ten minutes. I was ready to storm in there and drag Walker out by his hair if I had to. This shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have allowed it. Edward had come out to check on us. His expression was calm even though he had to hear what was going on both out loud and mentally. He had actually seemed pretty impressed with Walker as well.

Surprising the hell outta me, a loud knock came from inside the cell. Caden and I shared a startled look before he went down the steps to the door.

And wasn't that the moment the girls decided to come out of the house. It was just Christa, Nessie, and Morgan, but that was enough.

"What is going on? It's been an hour," Christa said.

Nessie gave me a look over her shoulder that said she'd tried to stop her, but Morgan looked as determined and worried as her best friend. So Ness had given in. Man, I really needed to talk to her about the alpha female thing. Of course, a part of her was probably curious too. I rolled my eyes. Women.

I met them halfway. "Just go back inside."

Christa gave me puppy dog eyes. "Jacob, please. What is going on?"

"We're trying to get information."

Before Christa could say anything, Nessie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Glancing over my shoulder, my jaw dropped. Walker was at the top of the steps and covered in blood, as in it looked like he'd bathed in it. His auburn hair was black and plastered to his head. The previously white shirt he'd been wearing was gripped in his hand and soaking, dripping, with blood. It looked like he was wearing a whole other person.

The moment Christa got a good look at him, she stumbled back away from me, breath coming short. Nessie caught her around the shoulders as she tripped backward.

"Christa," Walker called out, reaching a hand toward her.

She shook her head and let Nessie lead her back to the house. Morgan just stared at Walker with an expression of respect before turning to follow her best friend.

I turned to him. "Did you get anything before you painted yourself with his blood?"

He nodded.

"Does Denali mean anything to you?"

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**So, what do we think about Walker? I still love him. And I do believe that he is not like the other hunks of this story. But please review and let me know what you think. Love all of you! xoxoxoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

***clears throat* So chapter 8...I'm a little speechless with this one. Jacob scared me but I liked it. Many of you seem to be liking Walker more than Jake. Um, I'm not sure if this chapter might make you hesitate. But, guys, there's a...a... a LEMON! Woo-hoo! You guys have missed those apparently. And I just couldn't stand the tension anymore. So...uh, yeah. Off with the clothes!**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**WalkerPOV**

I tried to feel something as Christa ran away from me. There was nothing. I'd done what I had to in order to protect her. She could hate me for the rest of our lives as long as the information I'd gotten helped to protect her and the pack. The Cullens and some of the pack surrounded me, expressions ranging from downright shock to respect.

"Did you just say 'Denali'?"

Only my eyes moved to look at Bella. "Yes. I did. What does it mean?"

Carlisle couldn't seem to look at me. His eyes roamed everywhere else but on me. "They're family. We call them the Denali clan because they reside in Denali. Two sisters. Tanya and Kate. Irina was killed. Our friends, Carmen and Eleazar, also live with them. What did he say about them?"

I looked down at myself. My skin was painted red. "From what he managed to say before passing out, Tristan and the pack had found an abandoned house in the mountains. Smelled like vampire but they stayed there anyway before heading back down here. Apparently, Jane had told him to go there should anything happen. The Denalis were out of town."

"Are they ok?" Bella asked.

I shrugged. "Didn't say. All he said was that Jane was irritated she couldn't find them."

Carlisle excused himself as he pulled out his phone.

Jacob crossed his arms. "We have to go up there."

"Agreed," Caden said. "But first, let's get Walker cleaned up. The doc might want to check on Nicolai." He looked at me. "If he's still breathing."

I shrugged again, not really caring. "His heart was beating when I left."

Everybody shared looks before tossing one to me and looking away quickly. "I'm gonna go for a run, maybe wash off in the river."

"I'll go with you." Caden stepped up beside me.

I looked at him. "I don't need a babysitter."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm well aware of that."

A silent understanding passed between us, and I nodded. Turning, I left everyone there. This must be what a sociopath felt like. I had no emotions. I knew that I should be feeling something, some sort of decency. But the wolf was flying high with what we'd just done. He was too close.

"Walker, why don't we shift? Take a run."

Closing my eyes, I completely released the small amount of control I'd kept. When the wolf flooded that empty space, I went to my knees. It felt like my body imploded. Bones broke. Muscle popped. Skin slid. It was almost like I turned into a skin bag of broken pieces and something was putting me back together in another form.

Since I didn't fight it this time, the shift was much smoother, less painful. For a couple heartbeats, I just laid on the dirt, eyes closed, breathing heavy. When I finally opened my eyes, Caden was in wolf form and sitting in my line of sight. He yipped at me, which meant he was impatient. Lumbering to my four legs, I stretched and shook out my coat. Droplets of blood flew from my fur and onto Caden's white coat. Apparently, it didn't go away with the shift. It just transferred to my wolf form. Great.

Caden rolled those amber eyes, a very human gesture in wolf form, and loped into the woods. I followed him. The deer crashed through the trees away from us while the smaller animals scurried to get out of our way. We passed a cottage that was dark on our way to the river. The air was chilly as I breathed it in, but it was nice compared to my warmer temperatures.

When we got to the river, I shifted back in the water so that I could scrub the blood off of me. We were in one of the shallower beds. I didn't think Christa would want me in her house or near her the way I was at the moment. The humanity was starting to seep back into me, making me wonder how I'd deal without her in my life.

There was a splash as Caden joined me.

"Do you think she'll hate me now?" I asked as I scrubbed at my arm.

He shook his head. "I don't know. But honestly, I'm pretty impressed. You did what you had to do. You did what I did to find information on the vampire who killed my family."

"Did you find him?"

He shook his head. "No, but I got a good description even though I'd caught a glimpse of him. Apparently, he's not popular with our kind."

"Well, I hope you get him."

"Me, too. Walker, for being newly infected and only eighteen, what you did tonight was how it should be. Men should understand the threat and learn to deal with necessary evils. You did well."

"Thanks."

"Now that you're calm and back in your head, any regrets?"

A part of me felt like I should feel bad about what I'd done, but I just couldn't feel something that wasn't there. I shook my head and sat down in the water. It came up to my shoulders.

"Honestly, this morning, when I woke up next to her, I knew I'd do what had been done to me to protect her and the pack. This is my home, my family. I guess the protectiveness comes from years of watching over Tricia." I shrugged and reached behind me to scrub what I could of my back. The water was cold, but again, my warmth made it feel refreshing. "I just think that sometimes a sacrifice has to be made. It's how I've always seen things. To better ourselves, we have to think of others."

Caden nodded. "I agree."

A throat cleared to my left. Esme was standing on the bank with a pile of clothes. She smiled at us.

"I figured you could use some clean clothes." She laid them on the ground.

"Thank you, luv," Caden said with a smile.

"Would you like me to make you something to eat?"

I was about to say no when my stomach objected. "Actually, that would be great. If you don't mind."

"Not at all. Anything specific?"

I shook my head. "Surprise me."

She smiled again before disappearing.

"That is quite a woman right there," Caden said.

I agreed with him as I dunked under the water to scrub my hair out. It took a couple dunks but eventually my hair and face were clean according to the other wolf. Neither one of us had a problem being naked around other men so we got out of the river to dry off. Esme had also left some towels. Once we were dressed, we headed back to the house on two legs.

Caden clapped a hand to the nape of my neck. "She'll understand. Honestly, it's hard for their kind of wolf to understand. Sure there are a few among them who do, like Morgan and Christa. Christa's past was hard. Maybe once she's gotten over the spectacle you presented, she'll come to terms. But you'll also have some explaining to do."

I nodded and then another thought occurred to me. "Hey, if you've...done what I did before, then why didn't you do it sooner?"

He was silent for a moment. "I didn't really think about it at first. Honestly, I didn't think Nicolai really knew anything. Though he was third in line, Tristan didn't particularly trust him."

"Why didn't you know about the Denalis?"

He shook his head. "That was a new development. Had to have been unless Jane only told Tristan."

"Ok, explain to me who Jane is. I must have missed that part."

Again, he nodded. "It was before you got involved. Jane is a vampire, part of the royal guard of the Volturi. They are the closest thing to royalty that the vampires have. And apparently, they are after the Cullens, have been for a while so far as I can tell. Something happened a long time ago. Ever since then, the Cullens have been worried of a return. Now, Jane shows up. Her power is to cause pain. It's a mental thing, but it hurts like hell."

"You've felt it?"

This time, there was no response, just a far off look.

"Sorry I asked."

"Don't be. You learn from things like that, but there's no way to protect yourself. Not even the wolf in your head can protect you from her. It's awful. But Bella is a mental shield. She can push it onto someone else to keep Jane or any other mental abilities at bay. And Ness had developed her own mental wall, but only she can access it. That's why, if we ever go up against Jane again, it needs to be Ness and Bella doing the fighting."

"Amen to that."

"Look, I know you're worried about Christa and how she'll react to you. I was worried about the same thing when I decided to tell Leah about what I'd done. At first, she was put off. But then, she came around. It's the fear that you've gotten a taste of the torture, and will need it all the time to sate your lust for blood, that you might hurt her. The fear that you might go off the deep end. What you have to do is show her that you'll do what's necessary to survive, but you won't let that bleed over to take your humanity."

After that, we both fell silent, the sounds of the trees in the breeze and the animals chirping following us. The animals were preparing for the really cold weeks of winter that were approaching.

Idly, I wondered where I'd be staying if Christa didn't want me in her house. Ness and Jake? No. They were newlyweds. That would be rude. The Cullen house? Maybe. The recovery room had the normal bed and if anybody got hurt, I could sleep on the couch. Surely, Carlisle and Esme would understand that I couldn't go home.

I may have been an eighteen year old that had no problems with torture, but I still worried where I'd call home at the end of the day.

**ChristaPOV**

I was sitting on the couch in the Cullen house when Esme handed me a mug of something hot.

"Thanks."

She smiled and went back to the kitchen, probably to make some food.

"I just don't understand," I said in an emotionless voice. "It looked like he killed someone."

Jacob snorted. "That would have been the easier path."

Morgan, who was sitting beside me, glared at him before turning back to me. She stroked my hair. "Walker did what he had to do, Chrissy. He did what nobody else would."

Jacob exploded from where he was taking up space on the wall. "What, you want me to torture people now?"

"That's not what she meant."

We all looked to the rocking chair where Shelby sat. She was feeding Brayden, a blanket covering one side of her chest and the baby. Surprisingly, none of us minded.

Jacob turned to her. "So what does she mean?"

Shelby looked past him to Morgan. "I agree with what Walker did, and what Morgan just said. I was even telling Seth the other night that we needed to find a way to get through to the prisoners."

With an incredulous expression, Jacob turned to Seth. "And you agree?"

Seth didn't give an affirmation, only stared at Jake.

"Don't you get it, yet, Jake?" Shelby demanded. "The rest of us do. Maybe we don't like that it had to come to that, but it had to be done. This. Is. War."

Apparently Brayden was done eating because Shelby readjusted and then handed her son to his father before getting up to stand in front of Jake.

"We are out of options, yet none of us can stomach what Walker did. Our people are dying, Jacob. Those lives that were lost are on our hands. Luke. That innocent young girl. Those lives are on us because we're here, the wolves and the Cullens. Forks is our responsibility, Jacob, and so far, Walker is the only one with balls enough to do what needed doing. This way we still have the Makah chief in line_ and_ we know where to start looking for Tristan. We finally know where the second camp is. Maybe we can catch them."

Jacob stepped up to her. "Or maybe they're gone, suspecting that one of our prisoners might talk. We may have tortured that man for no reason."

"Actually, there were tons of reasons to torture the man."

Again we all turned, but toward the foyer. Caden was standing there, hands in his pockets.

"I think, Jacob, you should ask yourself if you're really upset about this, or are you upset that you should be upset, but aren't."

"What are you talking about?" Jacob asked, grinding his teeth, but ignoring the last statement.

Caden sighed, understanding what Jacob was asking. "Nicolai has had that coming for a long time. Why do you think I went along with Walker doing it? I could have easily stepped up to the plate." When everybody gave him confused looks, he continued. "Nicolai was one of the two wolves to tear the skin from Walker when he was infected."

I looked at him sharply, my hackles raising. "How do you know that? And does Walker know?"

He nodded. "I know because I scented him when we found Walker. And yes, I told Walker on our way over here."

I looked behind him and around the living room. "Where is he?"

"On his way down to your house to collect his things. Apparently he thinks you'll kick him out. Esme already gave him permission to stay here just in case that did happen."

The urge to get up and run to my house was irresistible. I stood up. "Please, excuse me." I was just passing Caden, when another question popped up. "What else did Nicolai do?"

Caden didn't look at me, but at Jacob. "He killed the girl. After he raped her. That's what Nicolai is notorious for. My one condition for working with him had been that Tristan control him. I wouldn't work with the bastard if he raped in the process. I've been wanting to kill him for years. But that's one thing I've kept from you. I asked Charlie to keep quiet and off the news."

"Again, Caden, what the hell are you talking about?"

"There have been a string of rapes between Seattle and Forks since I left Tristan and the pack. Tristan allowed Nicolai off his leash. I didn't want you to know about it because it's more my fault than anyone else's."

"How many?" Jake asked emotionlessly.

"Jacob-,"

"How. Many?" he demanded through clenched teeth.

Caden swallowed hard. "Thirteen, not including the jogger."

"Are they still alive? Are those women still alive?"

"Ten of them are. Again, not including the jogger."

So in all fourteen women raped, and four of them dead.

Jacob closed his eyes, looking like the calm before the storm, a little deadened. "And that's our fault, too, isn't it?"

"Jacob, it would have happened anywhere the pack went."

The alpha exploded and I was glad I was behind Caden. "But it's _my_ land he wants!_ My_ head he wants on a stick!" He was shaking from head to toe, jaw clenched, fists heavy at his sides.

"Jacob,-" Nessie tried, going to him.

She didn't get far. In fact, she had to duck.

"Goddammit!" Jacob swung around, fist flying into the wall.

There was a pause and eerie silence before Jacob roared. He tore at the wall, punching hole after hole until blood flowed from his hands. Screamed until he was hoarse.

"Jacob!" Nessie was huddled on the floor, crying. Bella wrapped her up in her arms.

Caden turned to me, placing a hand on my chin to get me to look at him. "Go on, luv. See to your man. There's nothing you can do here but get in the way."

Wanting to comfort my alpha but not daring to get too close, I took Caden's advice and fled the house.

**JPOV**

Pure. Rage.

That was all I could process. All I could feel.

Finally, my hands stilled, and I stood, breathing hard, and staring at the giant hole I'd made. For the first time in my life, I wanted to kill, to tear something other than a vampire apart with my bare hands.

_And the prey is close_, the wolf pointed out.

I didn't even remember making the decision. All I knew was that I was heading for the door.

"I'll fix the wall," I said in a low voice.

"Don't worry about it, Jacob," Carlisle said sadly.

I turned to him slowly. It didn't matter that he was practically the nicest guy on the planet. Right now, everybody was a target.

"I. Will fix. The Wall," I growled out.

Carlisle just nodded.

Briefly, I registered that Nessie was on her knees in Bella's arms sobbing into her mother's shoulder and hair. But even that didn't phase me. Pissed was an understatement of epic proportions. This rage felt right. This was how I was supposed to feel about that fucking pack. This was the rage I'd been terrified to feel, to use. Though I'd been there and had been reminded numerous times, they'd almost taken_ Nessie_, my _wife_ from me twice now. Jordan was dead, my own packmate. There were kids involved now. And now, innocent people that had nothing to do with this fucking war were dying for no fucking reason.

The wolf inside me purred at the anger, tasting it like a fine chocolate, rolling around in it. He wanted a little control. He wanted to help me, to come forward enough that he could protect me, protect us. I allowed him some room and he stretched inside me. My hands flexed and popped.

"Jacob," came a small voice beside me.

The wolf turned my head, angry at the interruption. We looked to Alice with cold eyes.

Her eyes didn't meet ours. "Your wedding ring. It's important to you."

Bringing my hand up, I stared at the black ring. After a moment, I slid it off and dropped it into her palm, moving on without a backward glance. Edward had apparently been in my head because he was waiting next to the stairs that led down to the cell's door, ready to lock it behind me.

"I won't be long," I told him as I walked past him. My voice was still devoid of emotion, the wolf taking up more and more of my consciousness.

The door locked behind me and the lights came on.

The one that Walker had worked over wasn't hanging in the center of the room as the pool of blood had suggested he'd been. Now, he was huddled down into a corner, still leaking. He looked like one big wound.

Ignoring the snapping and growling from the others, I went to crouch in front of him. He stared at me with pain-filled eyes.

Reaching forward with clawed hands, I gripped his hair, scratching his scalp. He winced.

"Stand up."

He choked, trying to talk. Blood poured out of his mouth. He tried again. "Can't," he managed weakly.

"Don't care." I pulled up, using his blood-soaked hair as a handle. "Stand. Up."

Gritting his teeth, he had no choice but to follow my hand. When he straightened out, he hissed and tried to hold back the whimpers. And that's when I saw what had been done to him. Puncture wounds from claws laced through spots where skin and meat were missing, large chunks just torn away. His hands rested over his lower abdomen.

Somehow knowing the pain he'd endured just didn't do it for me or the wolf. We wanted him to scream because of us. Maybe Caden had been right. I was just upset that I should have been upset.

Finding one of the open wounds, I dug my claws into it as I stared into his eyes. Pain tightened his features and he fought not to make any noises. Inside his body, I clenched my hand into a fist. He let out a yell. The wolf in me purred.

"You insignificant little shit. How many women have you raped? Murdered? Other than fourteen between here and Seattle."

For a moment, he just stared at me. And then the little shit smiled, teeth covered in blood.

He swallowed hard before talking. "Only fourteen, huh? Those were the few brave ones that came forward. Well, the ones I didn't kill anyway."

Growling, I twisted my fist inside his body. He grunted, so I twisted more and harder. He screamed.

Once the screaming stopped, he let out a painful laugh. "How's your little wifey? She looked rather tasty."

Snarling, I ripped out whatever was in reach. Now, he screamed as his body ripped apart. I sliced off the remaining pieces of his skin slowly. The entire time he screamed.

When I was done, there was a small pile next to my feet, blood pouring from him to me. He was a sagging bag of bones. I was the only thing holding him up. I pulled his face to mine, my lips at his ear.

"You know, I'd love to leave you here to suffer, but I can't stand the thought of you breathing the same air as your victims for another second."

I shoved my hand up under his ribs and dug upward. As soon as he got his breath, he screamed louder than he had this whole time. His hands came up weakly to try to stop me, but it was more like a baby batting at me. Easily avoided.

My fingers slipped over his beating heart. The wolf in me purred again.

There were no regrets or second thoughts as I gripped the organ and ripped it out of his chest.

His scream died, eyes wide as he stared at my hand. And then his body went slack. I dropped him, threw his heart to the group of wolves that had gathered in the corner. They fell upon it, fighting for it. The wolf in my head told me they were going to eat it. I didn't mind because it made a certain kind of sense.

The door opened just as I was about to knock. Edward was standing there with a look of approval on his face.

"Adam, Derek," I called as Edward closed the door behind me.

A moment later, two wolves came up to me slowly, ears down, tail lowered, bellies low to the ground. Their eyes rolled up to me.

Reaching down, I scratched behind their ears before I realized I was covered in blood. "You don't have to be scared of me. I want the two of you to bury the body before they eat it. The protein would give them strength."

They rubbed their sides against my legs as they passed me. Without looking back, I walked to the house and went for the shower. Nessie was curled up on her side, her head in Bella's lap. Bella was stroking her hair. I met Bella's stare as I passed. She looked sad but not about what I'd done, more about her daughter's heartbreak.

The hot water felt good on my aching body. Blood washed off in dark red swirls that eventually ran off in pinks until, eventually, it was clear. The wolf had finally laid back down in my head, sated. His consciousness faded and I was left in my own head. I could feel my humanity slip back into my body. And it was a relief to know that I was still ok.

The realization that everybody had been right made me want to kick my own ass. But really, there was nothing I could do about the past. I'd plan for the future better now, though.

I dried off and got dressed.

Caden was waiting for me in the hallway.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Just wanted to make sure you're ok after you wolf goes into hiding."

"I'm fine, Caden. Now, I'm going to go see if my wife wants to go home with me."

Leaving him in the hallway, I went downstairs to kneel in front of the couch. Nessie's eyes were squinched tight. Reaching out tentatively, I stroked her hair back. Those eyes opened. Thankfully the tears had stopped.

"Hey," I whispered.

"Hi," she said back just as softly.

"Do you wanna go home?"

She just stared at me for a moment before swallowing hard and nodding.

"With me? Or do you want someone else to take you? I could stay down here."

Licking her lips, she held her hand out to me. "With you. Always with you."

I kissed her fingers and helped her up. She was a little woozy from crying and laying down so I tucked her in against me. Bella stood up to put her hand against my cheek with a smile. Nessie's arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tightly. Alice appeared beside me, holding out my wedding band. Nessie took it from her so that she could slide it on my finger herself.

I pressed my lips to her hair. "Let's get you home."

**ChristaPOV**

After leaving Jacob with his rage, I flew down to the rez. The people got out of my way since I was in wolf form. When I got to my front yard, I saw that some bags had been thrown out onto the law. Phasing back, I didn't give a shit that I was naked. I just rushed into the house.

Moving down the hall toward the sounds of movement, I found Walker in the extra bedroom. He was bent over the bed, back to me.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, even though I already knew.

He straightened up. "I figured you would want a little space from me right now."

Swinging his bag over his shoulder, he turned around and froze as he got a good look at me. I didn't try to hide. Instead, I put all the heat I could into my eyes. He was dressed in a ribbed tank and low hung jeans. The shirt did nothing to hide his achingly perfect torso.

"Christa-," he started in a strangled voice.

Moving forward, I ripped the bag off his shoulder and threw it on the bed. "No. You're staying here. I want you here with me. Period."

My hand snapped out to grab his neck and pull him down to me. I practically devoured his lips, biting my way inside. He finally relaxed and opened his mouth to me. Not hesitating, I dove my tongue inside to taste him. It was as if I hadn't just kissed him this morning, and I needed that sweetness in my blood. His fingers gripped my bare hips.

He pulled back, breathing hard. "Christa, are you sure?"

"Either my room, or let me go."

I was giving him a choice. Either we could finish this, cement the relationship or we could wait. Whatever he chose, I let him know that I was ready for both.

He studied me for a long moment, fingers digging into my flesh. And then with a growl, he picked me up, crushing his lips to mine, and moved down the hallway, across the living room, and to my room.

Without breaking the kiss, he walked until his knees hit the bed and went down with me. As I crawled backward and he followed me, I clawed at his shirt, pulling it over his head. He separated from me just long enough to toss it, but his lips didn't go back to mine. They went to my neck. Closing my eyes, I laid back on the pillows, nails sliding up his arms. His teeth sank in here and there with a growl and then he licked away the sting. Moving down my body, he put one hand on one breast and his mouth on the other. I pushed my head back into the pillow, thrusting my chest further to him. He groaned as his tongue swirled around my nipple, his thumb performing the same motions on my other breast. My fingers pushed their way into his hair, holding his head over me. Once he was done with one breast, he moved his ministrations to the other, but this time, he bit down.

I moaned.

He did it again.

And then he moved on, tracing a line down the center of my body with his tongue and lips.

When his mouth his the apex of my thighs, my upper body convulsed off the bed. I'd never done any of this, never even let anyone touch me sexually. Hell, I've never done anything remotely sexual in my life.

He paused, unsure what to do. But he got over that quickly when his tongue snaked out for a taste. I convulsed again, fingers clawing his scalp. He rumbled out a growl, the vibrations pouring from his lips and onto me.

And then he licked me. One smooth stroke.

I cried out, one hand going to the sheets to rip at them from the pleasure. Those fingers played around the outside of my core as he continued his lapping. We figured out at the same time that the upstroke was my sweet spot, that little nub at the top of my core. He ran his tongue and lips mercilessly over that spot, adding a light touch of teeth.

While my body bucked with that, he slipped a finger inside of me. Immediate pressure hit my lower abdomen. At first it was almost painful, my body sucking down on the intruding appendage. But then, with my writhing and movement, I stretched out and the pressure loosened. The most delicious warmth pulsed through me as Walker started pumping his finger inside me while his tongue continued it's lashing of my sweet spot.

Steadily, the pleasure and warmth climbed higher, became hotter. Until he added a second finger and paused. The pressure was again painful, but I got over it faster than the first time.

"Walker," I groaned as he started up the movements again.

He growled again.

And that was my breaking point. The pleasure spilled over and I screamed, stars bursting in front of my closed eyelids. My body bucked as it sucked on his fingers, milking them. He continued to lavish me with those sinful lips throughout the entire orgasm, drawing it out, until I was a limp mess on the bed.

Relearning how to breathe, I peeled my eyes open to see him looking both worried and smug. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You ok?" he asked. His voice was nothing but a low rumble.

I managed a nod. "Yeah, but you're wearing too much and not finishing this.

He grinned smugly again as he backed up to stand up and shed the jeans. There was no underwear.

Instantly, my body revved back up. He was gorgeous, body fully tanned. Sun-kissed perfection. Muscles leanly wrapped his frame. And his manhood was perfectly proportioned. Soft, rounded head. Long, thick shaft that looked painfully hard. A heavy sac underneath. Only a light dusting of auburn hair. The tan there was darker with the blush of all the blood pooling there.

He picked up his pants to rifle through the pockets.

I leaned back on my elbows. "Can't use condoms."

He gave me a look. "What?"

I shook my head, curls bouncing over my shoulders. "We can't use condoms. Our body heat will melt them. So unless you wanna be peeling latex off of you, I'd suggest not trying." My eyes decided I couldn't look at him so they roamed. "I'd understand if you don't want to finish. I...um, I could do you by hand...if you want."

A heartbeat passed before I felt the bed move with his weight. I assumed he'd sat down to get dressed, but again, with him my assumption was wrong. He growled as he prowled up my body, hands sliding over my skin. Gripping my thighs, he parted my legs to make room for his hips.

"Let me ask you something."

"Ok."

"Would this be goodbye sex? Are you throwing me out after this?"

I shook my head, my breath coming short. "No, more like, I'm yours forever sex."

That smug grin was back. "No leaving after this?"

Again, I shook my head. "Never."

He stretched out on top of me, planting his elbows over my shoulders. No longer able to help myself, I reached between us to grip him. He shuddered, eyes closed as I stroked him once, twice. And then I positioned him at my entrance. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing, pale green.

His stomach slid against mine as he moved forward, inching his way inside. The pressure was much tighter than when he'd used his fingers and I couldn't help the flinch.

He paused, voice strained. "Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Definitely ok."

That made me laugh and he slipped in all the way, breaking the wall inside me. The tear hurt so bad that I winced and hissed.

"I'm good," I said before he could ask. "Just stay there for a second." Breathing through it, the pain ebbed and all I could feel was full. I gripped his hips. "Ok, I'm good."

Grinning, he pressed his lips to mine and slowly pulled back. The friction was tight and delicious. This time when he thrust forward, all there was to feel was intense pleasure.

"Faster," I whispered against his mouth. "Please."

"My pleasure."

He lifted himself up and moved, swinging his hips up and back. His breath was hot in my ear as he rocked against me, fingers tightening in my hair.

"Oh, god," he whispered. "You're so tight."

Smoothing my hands up his back, I kissed his chest. "Just move, Walker. I'm fine now. God, please, just move."

Entire body spasming, he thrust hard once, twice, three times, hips slamming into mine. With each stroke, he went deeper, and my sweet spot rubbed against his lower abdomen. That stroke sent a jolt of heat through the center of my body. For that friction, I lifted my hips on his thrust in so that we met in the middle.

Lifting up off his elbows to his hands, he had more room to swing. And swing he did. The thrusts became harder and faster, deeper and deeper. Glowing green eyes stared down at me as he shoved himself in and out of me. My hands roamed his body, dancing through the sweat beading on his spine and the nape of his neck. My nails traced the muscles as they tensed and relaxed.

Going up on my elbows, I licked a line from the center of his chest to the underside of his chin. And then I set my teeth in his neck directly over his pulse point. He growled, body shuddering, jolting inside me. Now I understood why the pack couples ended up with teeth marks on their necks or shoulders. It was a love bite, a mark of belonging. It also explained why the marks never truly went away. They wanted the mark on them as long as possible.

The harder I set my teeth, the harder his body bucked against mine.

"Fuck, Christa. Harder. Bleed me."

Wrapping my entire body around him, I slid my arms around his shoulders and legs around his hips, and dug my teeth into his flesh until I tasted blood. Pressing my head to his neck to keep me there, he got up on his knees and scooted back until my back hit the the headboard. His free hand gripped the wood so he had something to use for leverage as he hammered into me from the new angle. He had more room to move and my body swung with him. The motions slapped us against each other, taking both of us higher.

"Harder, Christa!"

At first, I was nervous about hurting him, but then he did something sinful with his hips, and I bit down harder in place of a shout.

"That's it. That's so it."

He pressed me harder to the headboard, placed both hands on my hips and pounded into me. I made noises in my throat as I drank down his blood, the infection giving it a weird taste, but it was still good.

Walker's breathing was become erratic, thrusts out of rhythm.

"Christa," he groaned.

"I know. Me, too," I said hoarsely, releasing my grip on him.

And it was true. My body was heating up again, that lightning strike getting closer and closer to the center of my body. When it lined up, I'd burst apart and then float back down. I held onto him for all I was worth as his hips pistoned against me. The part of him sheathed inside of me started to jerk wildly.

"Almost. So close."

Reaching between us, I stroked my sweet spot, applying more pressure. The stars started popping up under my eyelids between each thrust. Groans and moans came from both of us, sweat and blood mingling on our bodies. He hissed when the sweat seeped into the bite wound.

"Bite me," I said rather urgently.

"What?"

Gripping the nape of his neck, I pulled his mouth down to my throat. "Bite. Me. I want your mark on me."

This growl was much deeper and scarier, but I didn't have time to question it before his teeth sank into my skin. And that was the last push I needed.

I screamed as my body convulsed around him, bucking and squeezing down. My muscles turned into a fist around him as he continued to try to thrust through the resistance, which made it that much more pleasurable. His teeth sank deeper, piercing the skin, bleeding me like I had him.

I screamed his name and set my nails down his back, in his skin.

One more hard thrust was his last as he pulled away from my throat to let out a hoarse cry. It was his body's turn to buck against mine, prolonging my orgasm. White burst behind my closed lids, and I shredded his back even more.

My name left his lips as his body jerked only a few more times inside me.

Eventually, we calmed and stayed where we were, a heaving, heavy-breathing, sweaty mess. He rested his forehead on mine while we both relearned how to breathe.

"That was...fucking...amazing," he whispered.

I chuckled but he winced. "What? Did I hurt you?"

"Sensitive."

"Sorry."

He smiled. "I think I can live with it as long as we get to do that again."

I kissed his lips. "Absolutely."

Moving his head to the side, he licked at my skin. It took me a moment to realize he was lapping up my blood where it had oozed from the bite.

"Mmmm, you taste like cinnamon."

I licked him in return, cleaning up his blood. "And you taste like wood burning in the forest."

He leaned back enough to look me in the eyes. His had returned to their normal dark brown. Stroking the sweaty curls from my face, he studied me as if he were memorizing every detail of my face.

"I love you, Christa. And I know I scared you today. But I will never ever hurt you. I did what I felt was necessary to keep you protected. You and the pack and my mom and dad. I'll understand if you're scared of me, but-,"

I leaned forward to stop him with a kiss.

"Walker, I understand why you did it. And I know you don't regret it. I also know that you'd never hurt me." It was my turn to stroke the hair out of his eyes. "And Walker?"

"Yeah?" he whispered as if he couldn't quite catch his breath.

"I love you, too. No matter what you do, that will never change. You're mine now, and I'm yours."

"Forever?"

"Forever. And always."

He grinned. "I like the sound of that. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"And I'd be equally lost without you. I was for months, not knowing where you were." I pressed a finger to his lips so he couldn't say he was sorry again. "Don't apologize again. I understand. I just want you to know that the next time you run off, you better expect two bags to be packed. One, yours. The other mine."

He stared at me for a long moment, lips brushing over my finger, before gathering me to him in a tight hug. His face was buried in my hair, and he took a deep breath, chest expanding against my breasts.

"God, I love you."

I laughed. "I'm not God, but I love you, too."

He laughed, then winced. As he backed up, pulling out of me, my body jerked with sensation. I had to close my eyes as I shuddered, goosebumps rolling over my skin.

A finger stroked down my cheek. "I had to end up with a smartass, didn't I?"

"Of course. The universe is funny that way, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah. And I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"You know," I said, stroking a hand down his sweaty chest. "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

**Thank you, sweet baby Jesus! I think I speak for everyone when I say, FINALLY! Geez. But how hot was that? Not to float my own boat or anything, but I rather liked that lemon. It also helps that I am a HUGE Walker fan. Anywhozzle, please, pretty please, review? I love them and they make my work days ****_sooooooooo_**** much better. Love you guys! Oh, and I don't mind answering any questions. So don't hesitate to PM me if you feel the need. xoxoxoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 is here! I debated over this chapter so much, but in the end I decided to stick with it. Last chapter many of you said you were annoyed with Jake and Ness. I just couldn't see it. I wasn't annoyed with them at all, but I did try to address that in this chapter. Sadly, I have no witty comments to put here today as I am sick and don't really feel up to being my witty self.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**RPOV**

As soon as we made it to the cabin, Jacob sat me down on the couch while he built up the fire and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the rich scent of hot chocolate filled the air. Coming around the couch, he handed me a mug before crouching down in front of me.

"Thanks." I took a sip as he just watched me. "Some alpha female I am, huh?" I said with a bitter laugh.

"Ness,-"

"You know, I just feel so...fucking helpless."

Reaching forward, he cupped my hands where they were wrapped around the mug. His hands were bloody and bruised, knuckles swollen, but healing.

"Ness, look at me."

I knew the tone in his voice so I met his eyes to avoid making him give me an order.

His dark eyes were stern and serious. "I scared myself back there. Not at the time, but now that I'm thinking about it. Nessie, baby, I was so out of control that I almost hit you, and I knew it. But at the moment, it hadn't phased me in the least. I didn't even process it."

Hearing the remorse in his voice, I had to ask. "What made you lose it like that? I've never seen you so angry."

He scrubbed a hand down his face tiredly. "It was just...everything. I mean, for months everybody has been preaching at me things that I've witnessed and it didn't affect me, or at least I thought it didn't. Like, it didn't anger me like it should. And then today when Caden told me about the rapes and murders, I just flipped. I mean, everybody had the same reasons for accepting Walker's actions. I guess it just took a little more of a push to get me on the same rage. But I'm so there." He took the mug out of my hands to set it on the table so he could grip my hands. "Nessie, I know I've said this before and I didn't act on it. But now, I am ready to be alpha, to do whatever it takes to make you safe, to make our future children safe." A disgusted, angry look took over his expression. "When I went in there, and he talked about you, I ripped his still-beating heart out of his chest."

He wouldn't meet my eyes though he didn't look remorseful about his confession. Reaching forward, I stroked his cheek, making him look at me.

"And that's ok, Jacob. Don't you get it?" I asked, repeating Shelby's words. "I love you. And better late than never that you're finally seeing that this war is very different than the one that didn't happen the first time around after my birth. This one is actually being fought, and violence is the necessity." Swallowing hard, I scooted forward on the couch so that my knees were between his. "Jacob, when Tristan put you in that hospital bed, I vowed to the pack that his death was the only acceptable outcome of this. He very nearly took you from me, and that is unforgivable. No leniency, no choices. Just death. Whether it's by your hand, mine, or someone else's, he will die. Period. I've already accepted that there will more than likely be casualties before this is over."

Staring at me in awe, he stroked my hair back from my cheek. "You've been so much more of an alpha than I have. I've been so fucking blind to everything. The wolf was with me the entire time I was in that cell. In the shower, after he settled, I was still ok. No regrets. No thinking it into the ground. I'd gone with my instinct, and it felt good."

I smiled but not like I was happy. "I don't know how much of an alpha I am after today. I felt so helpless. I wanted to do something, but I was paralyzed. Not with fear, just, I don't know how to explain it."

He nodded. "Seeing a loved one that angry, seeing that kind of rage is paralyzing because you don't know what to do. You've never seen them like that and you don't know how to help. But there was nothing you could have done. I was so far gone that I doubt even you could have gotten through to me."

"You sound like you know from experience."

"A long time ago, I put your mom in your position. I was so angry, and so close to phasing near her, that Edward had to pull her back. Seth had to push me into the woods before I hurt her."

I gripped his hand, twisting his wedding band. "When was that?"

"Your parents' wedding during my dance with her."

I frowned. "I thought you weren't at the wedding."

"I wasn't. I managed to show up during the 'reception' and we danced in the woods. I wasn't really all that clean so I didn't want to scandalize all the pretty bloodsuckers."

Laughing, I rolled my eyes. And then I got serious. "Hey, are we good? No hysterics or anything? I'm ok with the violence. It was just hard seeing you like that."

He brought one of his hands up to trace my lips with his fingertips. "Yeah, we're good." Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to mine. "What do you say we head back down to the house? I gotta get started on that wall and Esme's making dinner. I also gotta talk to Carlisle about that appointment."

"Are you sure? We could just hang out up here."

"Baby, you need time with your family. I can't keep whisking you away."

I gave him a purposely confused pout. "But I thought that's what Prince Charming does, whisks his woman away?"

He laughed, giving me the first Jacob-y grin I'd seen in a while. "I'll whisk you away after dinner. The whole night will be ours. Walker's going take up patrols. I'll talk to him about it at the house. But to do that we gotta get to the house."

Grinning, I leaned forward to press my lips to his. "Mmm, can't wait for dessert."

"Me either," he said with a growl against my lips.

"I love you, husband."

"Love you, too, wife."

I'm sure my grin almost broke my face.

**WalkerPOV**

Christa was tucked into my side, smiling through her lip between her teeth.

"What?" I asked with my own smile. Seeing her glow just made me happy.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I've just never been in love before, nor been loved back, romantically speaking. It's just...weird."

I laughed. "Well, then you better get used to it. I'll be loving on you every chance I get."

Playfully, I dove under her hair to nip at her neck, growling against her skin. She giggled, pushing against my chest. I gripped her wrist to hold her hand against me while I sucked on her skin. Her head fell back with a groan as she stepped flush against my body.

Above us, a throat cleared. Christa pulled away with a flush and I let her go with a smug grin. Her breathing was erratic, eyes unfocused. And I did that to her.

"Well, you two look cozy," Jacob said from his front porch.

Nessie was nestled under his massive arm. It must have been a thing with the males to tuck their females close to them to protect them. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, head on his chest. She was smiling softly, love pouring off of her. I'd never seen her look so content.

Christa was mirroring her alpha female, arms wrapping around my waist as the alpha couple moved down the stairs in perfect sync. Leaning over, I kissed her hair. It was curlier than Nessie's. Compared to Christa's, Nessie's curls were more like waves.

Once down the stairs, Jacob held out his hand. I shook it.

"I'm glad you guys could...reconcile."

I grinned. "Me, too. Edward told me what you did. We stopped by the house. From what I hear, the bastard deserved it."

After Christa and I had made love, we'd taken a shower together. It was hard to believe that all this was happening in one day. I'd tortured a man right after breakfast, Jacob following after lunch. And yet, here we were with our women still by our sides.

"Come to check on us?" Nessie asked.

I shrugged. "Just wanted to make sure our alpha was still sane."

Jacob squeezed Nessie's shoulders and rubbed her arm. "You know, I think for once my eyes are open and clear. Even clear of my distractions." He squeezed Nessie again. "No offense."

She smiled up at him. "None taken. I'm glad."

"Esme said dinner was almost ready," Christa said. "We should get down there."

Two wolves walked out from the trees. I didn't recognize them. When I tensed, Christa rubbed her hand up my side. "It's ok. It's Derek and Adam. They followed us up here."

As the two giants approached Jacob, their heads were lowered, tails tucked down, bellies to the ground, and eyes rolled up to their alpha. They rubbed over his and Nessie's legs. Nessie reached down to run her fingers through their fur as they passed her.

"Come on, guys. Let's go."

Together, we all walked down to the Cullen house. The weather was steadily getting colder. Thanksgiving wasn't far away, and Christmas would soon follow. Christa broke away from me but kept her arm around my waist so she could talk to Nessie.

"Have you talked to Emily lately? I know you had Leila and Henry last night."

Ness shook her head. "No, Sam dropped her off. It's been a while since all the girls hung out. We seriously need a week long girls' day after this mess is over."

"Isn't that the truth. I still have Christmas shopping to do. Morgan is the hardest to shop for. And this one?" she added, jerking her head in my direction. "Absolutely no idea."

Chuckling, I kissed her hair. "I don't need anything. I've got all I want."

"Same goes for me," Jacob said.

Nessie mock glared at her husband. "Don't you even dare think about it. I have to get you something."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "You already married me. What else could I possibly want?"

"Don't act like you haven't found her something, Jake," Christa said giving him "the eyebrow".

Nessie grinned. "You did, huh?"

"You'll never find it," he teased.

She giggled. "You're probably right because you gave it to someone else to watch over it. I know you. And knowing you, it's either my dad or Aunt Alice."

"Try both," Christa said.

One of the wolves yipped playfully.

"Hush, you," Jacob replied. "And let's get off this topic."

I shrugged. "How do you guys do holidays anyway? I mean the pack and the Cullens? You're all one big family, right?"

Nessie shrugged. "Kind of. Some of the wolves are more comfortable around the rez with their families. Those wolves that don't have anybody else are always welcome at the Cullen house. Since we always have the pack going through the big house, there's always food and clothing. But the family is always together for the holidays. You, Tricia, and your parents are welcome. If you wanna go see them, though, you can, Walker. We won't keep you from your family."

Somehow, she'd known what I was thinking. I really wanted to reintroduce Christa to Mom and Dad. They'd gotten off on the wrong foot, and I really believed they'd like her. Plus, it would prove to them that I was still around. Of course, if Embry were to go with Tricia that would be an interesting Thanksgiving dinner to say the least.

"She's right, man. Besides, from what I hear you had a rocky go of it when you left."

Christa huffed beside me, her expression stiff.

I chuckled. "My dad was a jerk and Christa didn't put up with it."

"Shocker," Jacob said sarcastically.

We all laughed.

He looked at Ness. "I was thinking that maybe we could invite the family to our place for Thanksgiving. You know, fresh scenery and all. Besides, we have a little more room, more open spaces. All the women in the kitchen while us guys make a mess and watch some game or other."

She gave him a look. "I don't know about that last part, but I could definitely see us hosting it. It would be fun. I'll talk to Esme and Mom about it." Leaning forward, she smiled at us. "The two of you would be welcome to stop in." She lifted her eyes to mine. "I offer every year to Christa, but she always declines."

Before I could answer, Christa jumped in. "Well," she said, squeezing my waist, "I think things will be different from now on."

She didn't need to say it, but we all knew it. Morgan was back in her life as her best friend. And now she had me. I was back, and not planning on going anywhere for a very long time.

I hugged her tighter to me. "Yeah, we'll stop in. Wouldn't miss it."

The rest of the walk was more idle chit-chat. Derek and Adam remained alert, eyes and ears roaming the woods. Every time a breeze came by, they lifted their muzzles to the wind.

Dinner was indeed ready by the time we made it into the house. Caden, Ethan, and Beau had more maps strewn over the table. This time when I met Ethan's and Beau's eyes, there was a level of respect. That respect also transferred over to Jacob as they shook hands.

It seemed as though being able to rip a man apart and keep your sanity got people's attention. The more respect I got, the more I redeemed myself, but I wouldn't be going around hurting people.

I didn't want anyone but my enemies to fear me.

Emmett and Jasper were also leaning on the table. Lucy, the thirteen year old that Tristan had infected, stayed close to Ethan who seemed to be protective over her. He always watched closely when people got too close to her.

"I was just going over the last time we visited up north," Caden said. "Though we're going further than the Makah reservation, I'm thinking it might be good to travel toward them, around them. Let the chief know that we haven't forgotten about him."

Jacob turned to Carlisle. "Have you gotten in contact with the Denalis?"

Carlisle shook his head. "All their phones are going to voicemail, even Garrett's." Then his eyes came to me. "You seem to be healed up. Except for the bite mark."

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, uh, I'm feeling pretty good."

"Good. We'll need you with us."

"Me?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, I want you up there when we go."

That kind of surprised me. I'd already run away once because my feelings had gotten hurt. They didn't think I'd run now. And Jake wanted me up there.

I nodded. "Sounds good."

"Also," he continued, looking to Nessie. "I want you, Shelby, and the other women down at the rez. That includes Christa, Morgan, and the other females. Someone will need to stay here to guard the prisoners."

"I'll do that," Rosalie said as she brought in some trays of food. She shrugged when we all looked at her. "I gotta ready the cars for winter anyway."

Jacob nodded. "Done."

Outside, howls rose up into the afternoon. All of us in the dining room shared a look just before the front door burst open. A moment later, Adam was in the doorway in human form.

His chest heaved as if he'd run a long way to get here. He probably had. After we'd come into the house, he and Derek had melted back into the woods to finish their patrols.

"What is it, Adam?" Jacob demanded.

Instead of looking at his alpha, he looked to me. "We have a serious problem."

Without another word, he turned around to head back outside. I shared a look with Jacob.

Nessie shrugged. "Might as well follow him."

We all trooped out the door. Christa and I went first. As soon as I stepped out, I froze, recognizing the person standing in the middle of the clearing. While everybody filed out on the porch behind me, Christa gripped my hand and gave me a questioning glance.

"Hello, Walker."

Everybody turned to me. I didn't pay any attention to them. Instead, my wolf snarled and growled in my head.

She just crossed her arms and stared at me. I had to give it to her, she didn't even flinch at how badly she was outnumbered. But then again, her pack was probably in the woods surrounded by Jacob's.

Jacob stepped up on my other side. "Who is she, Walker?"

I swallowed hard, memories surfacing. "Bianca."

She grinned. "Nice to see you, too."

I growled. "Leave. Get off this property and don't come back."

The smile slipped. "I can't do that."

"And why is that?"

For a long moment, it looked like she was trying to decide what to say.

And then Caden stepped up on the other side of Christa.

Bianca's eyes widened.

"Hello, Bianca."

"Caden," she whispered. "So, it's true? You're really not with Tristan anymore?"

He shook his head. "I'm not."

A sad realization came over her expression as her gaze came back to me. "Edmund was wrong."

I just glared at her.

"Speaking of," Caden continued, "where is your paranoid pack leader?"

"Dead."

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Caden's head snap around to look at me. I was frozen with shock.

Bianca stepped forward, imploring. "That's why I'm here."

"And why is that exactly?" Jacob asked.

Caden's eyes were still on me. "Walker's responsible for his death."

"What?" Christa demanded.

"That's the only reason she'd be here. She's not stepping up to take pack leader. She's here to recruit the man that killed the previous one." He looked back to her. "Isn't that right? The pack voted, and they want the wolf that killed Edmund."

She stepped forward. Adam, now back in wolf form, and Derek moved in front of her. Glaring at them, she growled out, "I didn't defeat him in a challenge, therefore, the pack voted what to do as per custom."

"And which way did you vote?" Caden demanded.

Her gaze moved between me and the other male. "My vote was the deciding vote. Again, as per custom."

Caden raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Walker's our new pack leader."

"The hell I am."

Caden came to stand in front of me. "Sorry, mate, but you really don't have a choice if you want to keep breathing."

Christa stepped up into Caden's space. "Was that a threat?" she growled out.

"Merely a truth." He looked at me once more. "If you don't take the role as pack leader, it is within the rights of the pack to kill you. You killed their leader and ran off. Technically, it's in their right to kill you now. So be happy they haven't come to kill you. They outnumber Jacob's pack by a lot. If you don't take this role, you're leaving them defenseless. Bianca was smart to not step in. She's female and cannot hold up to the challenges. It's not sexist. Males are just the stronger sex even as werewolves. As pack leader, she'd be challenged too much to allow herself proper time to heal before the next challenger approached. She'd die and the pack would be even more defenseless. Our wolves are not like Jacob's. In our world, there are dominants and there are submissives, remember? The submissives rely on the dominants to take care of them. If Bianca dies trying to protect them, they will become anyone's victims to do with as they please. You are a dominant male, an alpha. I have seen you fight. You can handle the challenges."

Christa gripped my hand hard.

"What about Christa?" I asked Caden.

Before he could answer, there was murmur in the crowd on the porch. Caden moved aside so that I could see that Bianca's pack had emerged from the woods surrounded by Jacob's pack. It was a huge pack of about a hundred wolves. There were a few that I recognized from the cave they'd tortured me in. Some of those that I recognized would not meet my eyes as they stood before me. The rest just glared at me. The wolf in me snapped and snarled, wanting to punish them.

"She isn't one of us. I can smell that from here," Bianca said. "However, I see that she is your mate and still a werewolf. And you spoke of her frequently in your sleep, spoke of how much you love her." Beside me Christa looked up in surprise. I didn't meet her eyes. "I am willing to allow the female to remain yours. She will not be held to our laws and customs. And any who try to challenge her will be forced to challenge me."

"That seems too easy. Why did you vote for me?"

The smile she gave was sad. "You forget that I liked you from the beginning, Walker. I watched over after they were done each night. Though Edmund couldn't force me to join the torture, I still took care of you and made sure that there were a limited number of wolves involved. You see, the pack was torn, rather unevenly, between me and Edmund. My followers were forbidden to touch you. Edmund couldn't go against my direct orders even though he was pack leader. They were more scared of me than of Edmund, and so they did as I ordered. I never once believed that you were one of Tristan's, but Edmund wouldn't hear of it. At one time, he was an excellent leader, but then one day, he just snapped and nearly slaughtered all of our people. That's the day I became second in command. I beat him in a fight. Ever since then, I had to walk on glass just to keep him calm. He wouldn't let any of our wolves transfer to a different pack. Make no mistake, Edmund was lethal, very dangerous, and loved to hurt for no reason. Not one outside challenger could defeat him. We're glad he's dead. And we want the wolf who managed to kill him to be our leader."

I squeezed Christa to my side. "But I didn't mean to kill him. I was trying to escape."

Bianca's smile was much less sad. "And that's okay. We understand it wasn't a proper challenge. However, we justify it by saying he challenged your trustworthiness and your freedom."

Warily, I stepped to the railing of the porch and looked out over the hundred or so wolves. Christa stood just behind me, her hand on my back.

"How many of you voted in my favor?"

Almost the entire pack, including Bianca, raised their hands. The few who didn't were ones who had tortured me. Some of the wolves who had helped had raised their hands even though they couldn't meet my eyes.

Overcome with emotion about these strangers choosing me, I cleared my throat. "You don't even know me."

Bianca shrugged. "I know enough. You and I talked before Edmund had shown up. Do you not realize that you have 'alpha' written across your forehead? You're aura screams it. An alpha always comes with the proper ways of things. Sometimes though, that sense of authority gets skewed, like with Edmund or Tristan. I believe you can lead us, and that's enough for them." She motioned to the wolves behind her. "But remember, I was the last vote, not the first. They chose on their own."

I shook my head. "I can't leave Forks. There's business to take care of."

"If you're talking about Tristan, that's fine. We'll stay. He's screwed this pack over so many times anyway."

"What about after we deal with him?"

Another wolf stepped forward, a male who was old enough to be my dad. "I own some land just outside of Forks. We can set up camp there."

Bianca grinned. "Actually, we wouldn't need camp. I inherited my family's wealth when my mother died and have been saving it for an occasion to use it properly. If you're serious about us, I'll use it to build a small village on Roderick's land. Of course, if he's ok with that."

He smiled at her.

"Wait, wait, wait. Did you just make plans to_ move_ up here?"

Bianca shrugged. "In the future, yes. I think you missed the part where I said 'if you're serious about us'. Look, we know that you don't know us and that we're a visiting pack. We can make camp in the woods until the Tristan thing is over. We can make a trial run of it, I suppose you could say. We're your pack, the decision's been made. It's up to you to accept it."

Turning my back on them, I surveyed my family on the porch. Everybody was staring at me, but all I could see was Christa. Reaching up, I stroked her cheek with my thumb.

"What do you think?"

She leaned into my touch, pressing her body against mine. "I think it's sudden and scary. However, a trial run is a good deal. Maybe something good will come out of this. And they're not trying to separate us. I'm not an alpha female and I'd have to learn, but I think I have a couple good examples."

"So you think we should do this? And I say 'we' because I couldn't do this without you."

Her expression melted. "Of course we'd do it together. Don't you remember when I said I'm yours forever? Where you go, I follow."

The wolf in me purred that we managed to have this sweet, strong woman in our lives. Her lips met mine with a gentle kiss.

I raised my eyes to Jacob and Caden. "What do you two think?"

Caden shrugged. "It would give us a lot more wolves on our side."

"That's true," Jacob conceded. "We can use all we can get. You really think he can do it? That it's a good idea?"

"They won't go against him. They voted. There are only certain times when the pack is a democracy and that's one of them." He looked at me. "You must have made quite an impression on them. However, they will need to understand that Jacob is alpha male of this land."

I nodded. "Oh yeah. I follow Jacob."

"But you're the boss of these wolves. They will look to you to lead them."

Taking a deep breath and gripping Christa's hand, I turned around to face the pack. "Ok, we'll go with the flow. There is a clearing east of here that's next to a river. Set up camp there. I'll come check on you soon so that we can discuss a few things."

Smiles broke out and the few kids of the pack cheered. Those that hadn't voted for me just stood there, apart from the others. I memorized their faces. We'd be having a chat later.

As they all trooped out behind Roderick, Bianca stayed just long enough to smile and nod at me. "Thank you. You saved us from Edmund. We're grateful."

I glowered at the wolves that weren't on my side. "Not all of you."

She nodded seriously. "They can be dealt with."

"Absolutely."

She saluted me. "See ya later, pack leader."

**JPOV**

This was turning out to be the longest day in the history of long ass days. Once my wolves escorted the new wolves away from the house, we all flooded back inside. My stomach rumbled as the scent of enchiladas hit my nose. They'd been brought out before we'd all gone inside but I was too preoccupied with the planning to think about food. Now, I was thinking about food.

The maps had been moved from the table and Esme was standing there with her arms crossed and toe tapping on the floor. I traded glances with Nessie.

"Sit down and eat," Esme ordered. "I'll not have you working on empty stomachs. That goes for you as well, Walker. You're in shock and need to eat and drink."

"Yes, ma'am," the new pack leader said as he sat down next to his mate who was already piling food onto a plate for him.

"And don't call me 'ma'am'. Makes me sound old."

We all laughed as food was passed around.

"So, Walker, how do you feel about all this?" I asked as I passed one of the pans to Ness.

"Weird," was his quick response. "I never expected to be in charge of anything, ever. So I'm not quite sure how to go about this. It seemed so easy that, bam, I'm leader and they're all accepting of Christa and me."

"It's the hope you represent to them,"Caden said around a mouthful of food.

"What do you mean?"

Caden took a sip of sweet tea. "You remember how I told you that our packs are run on fear?"

Walker nodded.

"Well, that pack has run on fear for a long time. The fear that their pack leader might snap. What I meant before was the kind of fear that keeps people in line from doing things they're not supposed to do. But according to Bianca, Edmund was far past that with just attacking random, innocent members of the pack." He pointed his fork at Walker. "You clearly made an impression on them, and they want to see if you'll live up to it." He leaned forward onto his elbows. "Tell me something, what were they like when you were visiting them?"

Walker chewed, thinking about his answer. No doubt he had to sort through all the crap that had been done to him to get to the other side of things.

"At first, they were very skittish around me. Especially the women and children. But after I sat down around the bonfire with them, they seemed to loosen up. Even the kids came up to me, offering their food."

What sounded like a fork clanged over a plate. We all looked over at Caden who was staring at Walker with his mouth hanging open.

"They did what?" he demanded even though he'd heard. He shook his head. "Did Bianca see that?"

Walker looked confused, his eyebrows meeting his hairline. "Uh, yeah. She had the same shocked look on her face that you do."

"Cubs offering their food to a male is a sign of great trust, and shouldn't be taken lightly."

"So what does that mean for Walker?" Christa asked.

Caden grinned. "It means that if the cubs trust him, then the rest of the pack does. Children, no matter the species, have always been sensitive to the truth, the very nature of the world. Take imaginary friends for example. Not all of them are imaginary."

We all stared at him. Nessie cleared her throat beside me and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Are you talking about ghosts?" she asked.

Caden smiled at her. "Indeed, I am. But my point is, children are very good at interpreting what adults stop believing in. Trust is one of those things."

"So that's why they all voted for me."

Caden nodded.

An idea occurred to me from what Caden said earlier. "Since there are a significant amount of them, you think they'd be willing to run patrols, and go up to Denali?"

Walker shrugged. "I'm their pack leader." He looked to Caden. "They have to follow my orders, right?"

The other wolf nodded.

"Ok, I have a question," Leah chimed in. She'd been quiet for a while. "If the pack leader is equivalent to Jacob's alpha male, why would Bianca as second in command have any power over the pack?"

Caden smiled at her with pride. "Good question, luv. It's the fear factor. But also, she said the pack was torn, meaning she has followers. Not all packs are like that. When the pack is no longer trusting the pack leader, they turn to the next in line. That would be Bianca. If the scales get uneven out of the pack leader's favor, the next in line can take over the pack until he or she can find a replacement or take the responsibility themselves. A lot of seconds in command like to stay where they are. Bianca was always one of those."

Unfortunately, that made a certain amount of sense. "So, the pack is fully on Walker's side?"

Caden shrugged and shook his head at the same time. "Not necessarily. They're completely on Bianca's, but they're waiting for Walker to prove himself. And then, they'll decide."

"Peachy. I'll talk to Bianca when we go out there. We're planning to go up near the Makah rez just to pass through, and then go up to Denali, right?"

I nodded. "That's the plan. Just wanna let the chief know that I'm still aware of him. No stopping, just a pass through. Then we'll move upward. If Tristan is still in Denali, we'll have more than enough wolves to overtake him. If not, we'll at least know where he isn't. I'm going to have Sam, Edward, and Carlisle start monitoring the news stations over the country just to see if anything comes up, maybe even globally."

"Great." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and turned to Christa. "You ready to go?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sure."

They stood up.

"If you'll excuse us," Walker said before looking to Esme. "The food was wonderful. Thank you."

She smiled warmly as they headed out the door.

I copied them and stood up. "Carlisle, I need a word if you don't mind."

For a moment, he looked surprised. And then he looked at Nessie. "Sure. Up in my office?"

His office was sound-proof so it made sense. "Yeah. That'd be great."

I followed him up the stairs after giving Nessie a kiss. She gave me a thumbs-up.

"So," Carlisle said as he closed the door behind us. "I assume this has something to do with my granddaughter's tests? Though you're her husband, I really can't give you any information."

"That's not why I'm here. Nessie already told me that you didn't find anything wrong with her, so don't worry about doctor/patient confidentiality." Clearing my throat, I put my hands on my hips, and couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm actually here to ask you to...perform your tests on me. It'll make me and her both feel better."

Carlisle looked as if he were trying not to smile. "You do know what those tests involve, correct?"

A flush crept up my neck. "I can guess. You're not checking the equipment. You're checking the juice."

Carlisle's not-smile grew. "An apt description if a little crude." He went around me to dig into his desk. He pulled out some gloves, a syringe, a cup with a lid, and a tube. "Let me take some blood. You can collect the other sample at home, but it must be brought to me after while it's still...warm. A hot shower would increase your body heat and keep the sample warmer longer."

I nodded, really hoping nobody was hearing this conversation. He took my wrist to stretch out my arm and tapped for a vein. "I'll take the shower now. I promised Ness a night at home with no interruptions."

"Ah, well, the faster I get it, the faster I can give you answers."

And then he stabbed me with the needle. Soon the tube was full of my blood, and then he handed me the cup.

I remembered this when I was a kid and was sick. Peeing in a cup. Only this time it would be white, not yellow. Not to mention, I now had to do something I hadn't done since Nessie and I first made love. I wasn't even sure that I could do it, but I made a promise to my wife, so I'd damn sure try.

**RPOV**

This had been a long day, and I was exhausted. Nevertheless, I helped my mom and Esme clean up the food while Jacob was talking to Carlisle.

"So, Jacob made a suggestion today that I agree with," I said as I put leftovers in various containers.

"And what is that, honey?" Mom asked.

"We think that we should host Thanksgiving at our place. It's a little more spacious up there, and since the family keeps growing, we might need that space."

She smiled at me. "That's a great idea. What do you think, Esme? Think we could get everything together up there?"

"Absolutely. I think it's a fantastic idea. I'll get with Alice and Rosalie. Any plans for Christmas?"

I shook my head. "Probably Christmas Eve at home. Visit on Christmas day. I figured Jacob and I could spend our first Christmas as a married couple together. It seems logical to start traditions now anyway."

Mom nodded. "Sounds good. Exciting, isn't it? To have a special someone to have personal space on holidays? To start a life together?"

My heart warmed as I thought of Christmas Eve cuddled up with Jacob, lights shining, candles glowing warmly as the fire crackles in the fireplace. If it snowed, it would be perfect.

"It really is, Mom. I love him so much. I just don't know what to get him. Christa told on him saying that he's already got mine, or at least picked it out."

She shrugged. "Jacob has always been that way. He never needs nor wants anything." She stroked my hair. "Don't worry, honey. You'll think of something."

I sighed as I packed up the rice Esme had made and put it in the refrigerator. "Maybe I can talk to Billy or Rachel."

As I closed the door to the fridge, I felt hands land on my shoulder. Turning around, I found my husband smiling at me. His hair was wet, shirt sticking to him in patches. He'd taken another shower?

He leaned down to kiss me. "I told you I don't want anything, baby."

I slumped. "I know, but still. I gotta find you something. Guilt is a wonderful motivator. As is love."

He laughed, hugging me to him. "Alright, let's just agree to disagree. What do you say we go home? Dessert is waiting." His eyebrows wiggled at me.

Giggling, I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I say that sounds amazing."

After we said our goodbyes and thank yous, we made it up to the house with Adam and Derek escorting us. Once we made it there, we said goodnight to the boys and locked ourselves in. While Jacob put up our portion of the leftovers, I went downstairs to light the candles and change. I had an idea all day of what I wanted to wear for Jacob's "dessert".

Shrugging out of my clothes, I slipped into a black thong and grey teddy. Once I was dressed, I unwrapped my hair from the braid I had it in letting it cascade down my back and over my shoulders. Coming out of the closet, I looked at the bed. I wasn't really feeling the bed tonight, so I built up the fire before stretching out on the carpet in front of it. On my side, I put my elbow down and rested my head in my palm, leisurely drawing circles on my bare thigh with my finger.

I was staring into the fire, lip between my teeth, when I felt eyes on me. Looking down toward my feet, I found Jacob breathing hard, his eyes searing with heat. He was wearing only his jeans as he knelt down at my feet.

Gripping my thighs, he rolled me onto my stomach and then stopped touching me. I tried to look over my shoulder, but he growled at me. A moment later, those heavy hands ran over the backs of my legs, over my bare ass, and under the slip of the teddy to roam my back. As he moved, he stretched out on top of me. He'd shed his jeans and his hot erection nestled between the cheeks of my ass to tease me before he backed up again.

Slowly, he bunched up the teddy around my upper chest so that it was more like a tube top, leaving my lower body nearly bare. Those hot lips followed his hands down my body, down my spine. There were two dimples in my lower back that he played his tongue over. While his mouth worked me over, his hands massaged my backside, two of his fingers dipping between my thighs. A heavy growl rumbled out of him when he found me wanting and wet.

Pushing my hands into the carpet, I arched my hips and backed up into his fingers which were just lightly playing over me. My breathing was starting to get heavy, a pleasant pressure building inside me.

And then his fingers left me. I whimpered a little until I felt him grip the thong and start to slide it off. With his legs straddling mine, it took some work for him to inch them down, but he managed. Once they were off, he leaned back over me and bit the back off my thigh, just under the cheek. And then his tongue flicked out to soothe the sting before doing the same to the other side.

"Jacob," I sighed.

He growled. "Spread a little," he commanded in a low bass. "Arch up a little more."

I did as he ordered, wriggling my legs apart and raising my pelvis off the floor. His knees scooted up a little more, closer to my hips. And then I felt the head of him at my entrance.

"Yes, Jacob," I sighed again.

Again, he growled as he thrust into me. No foreplay, so entering slowly. He just shoved all of himself inside of me. Clawing at the carpet, I let out a shout as he moved. Reaching down his gripped my ass, fingers digging into flesh.

"Ness," he growled out.

I gasped as he threw some extra power into the thrust, his hips slapping into me. He used his grip on me to use as a handle to pull me harder against him. His erection hit hard at the end of me, but at this angle, he hit that spot deep inside me that just thrummed for the stroke.

The pressure was slowly building inside me the way it usually did that kind of deep stroke. But then he stopped. Not pulling out, he gripped my hips and pulled up. When I got to my hands and knees, Jacob pressed a hand to the top of my shoulders and pushed down, pushing my face back into the carpet.

"Yeah, that's it," Jacob growled. "That angle is so tight."

He was right. We'd never made love this way before. The angle was different and tighter, his girth pressing on the walls inside me. Luckily, I was so wet. Otherwise it would have hurt.

Smoothing his hands over my back, he started to move again, slower this time. Deep slide in. Pulling out until just the tip of him was inside me. The torture was killer and amped up the anticipation. When I tried to push myself against him for more friction, he growled, gripped my ass, and forced me to stop. His grip on me made my eyes roll as he did another of those deep, slow thrusts.

"Oh, god, Jacob."

Leaning over me, he smoothed one hand over my back, around my side, and up to grip my breast. Apparently, feeling my pearled nipple was his undoing because he brought the other hand around to grip my other breast and thrust hard and fast into me once, twice, three times. I clawed at the carpet, gasping at the pleasure coursing through me. His fingers pinched my nipples as his thrusts became harder but not as deep at the new angle.

Jacob's breath was hot in my ear as he took me, the constant growl vibrating down my spine from where his chest was plastered to my back.

Although I was loving this new position, my body started to shake with his weight. Apparently, he felt it, because he gripped my breasts hard and pulled me up so that I was still against his chest, but no longer on the floor. Once hand snaked down to the apex of my thighs, fingers playing over the folds. I convulsed as his fingers brushed over that bundle of nerves.

He didn't like me moving. The wolf wanted me submissive. That was clear only when Jacob's teeth set into the top of my spine at my neck. Instantly, my body still as that growl shot straight into my spine, heat flowing over me, goosebumps popping up on my skin even though we were in front of the fire.

I was immobilized as Jacob hammered into me, his fingers playing over my breasts and stomach. When I started grunting, whimpering, and moaning, he stuck his fingers into my mouth, no doubt to shut me was fine. I just sucked and nibbled on his fingers.

The growl deepened, his thrusts becoming erratic. One of my hands reached back to dig into his neck while the other traveled down my body to meet his at my core. I pressed his fingers harder against mine and moved my hips to create a delicious dance of flesh. The pressure in me was getting tight, my skin shrinking over my frame.

"So close," Jacob rumbled over my skin before biting down on me again.

"Mhm," I mumbled around his fingers.

My breathing was getting thrown off as my body wanted to buck. Just about two more thrusts and I'd break apart.

One. My body tightened up.

Two. Lightning struck and I screamed around Jacob's fingers in my mouth.

Three. He growled harder against me and froze inside me as I felt him jerk.

My body milked him over and over, his hot seed spilling deep into me. My ass was pressed into his hips, feeling the muscles tensed and hard. Which just fueled me even more.

My eyes rolled again as white spots flitted over my vision.

And then we were sated. Jacob fell forward, taking me with him. Throwing out an arm, he wrapped the other around my waist and caught us. He rolled so that he fell to the floor, my body cradled in the crook of his.

"You didn't bleed me this time," he managed to croak out.

I laughed, which was odd since he was still inside me. Hissing, he withdrew, making me writhe.

"Sorry," I said.

"Don't be. I'm good. Are you ok? I think I was the one to bleed you."

I felt him part the hair at my neck so he could examine his handiwork.

"Yeah, you're bleeding."

I shrugged and moved my head until he let go for my hair to move back over my neck. "I'm fine. I like it."

"Good." He kissed my temple. "I like it, too."

We were on our sides, my back to Jake's chest. I arched my hips back into him. "Mmm, I like the new you."

He laughed. "I follow my instincts now instead of worrying over everything. I think the wolf is the greatest asset now."

"He really is. He takes what he wants and trusts me when I say I'm alright. I think I can handle that."

His arms squeezed me. "I think you like the wolf more than me."

I set my nails into his arms. "Never. I love you. He just helps you to not overthink things. He helps you to just feel."

His warm lips kissed my shoulder. "Yeah. I like just feeling. It's nice."

Grinning, I stared at the fire. "It sure is."

**ChristaPOV**

After dinner, Walker and I had walked through the woods to find camp almost completely set up. Esme had met us outside with enough extra food to feed an army. Bianca met us at the edge of the trees.

"Hey, guys." She held her hand out to me. "I'm Bianca. It's nice to meet you."

I took her hand. "Christa. Nice to meet you, too. Is everyone comfortable? Anybody need anything?"

She smiled. "I think we're ok."

"Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. We'll get it for you."

"Thanks." She looked at Walker in a serious way. "Thank you."

He looked surprised. "For what?"

"This. Giving us a chance." Turning around, she looked at her people. The kids were all running around, playing at the edge of the water and throwing mud at each other. "You have no idea what it means to them, to me."

"Edmund was bad, wasn't he?"

She nodded. "Yeah, he was getting worse. He was against Tristan, but-,"

"But?" Walker urged.

"But when he went after little Haleigh, I knew something was really off inside his head."

She nodded her head toward a little girl with braids, being chased by an older boy.

Anger clouded Walker's features. "He went after her? How?"

Bianca sighed. "One day, she was playing with Marco and ran out into the path in front of Edmund. He was so angry, when a few years ago, he'd have just smiled and chased her himself. But he raised his hand to her. One of the older boys, Xavier, stepped in the way to take the blow." She pointed. "That's him over there. It wasn't just one blow he took. It was full on beating before his mother ran to me."

We looked over to where she pointed. He was only a year or so younger than Walker, in his late teens. Scars dribbled over his neck and collarbones where the shirt opened up. His sandy hair fell into his green eyes in the haircut that was popular with boys nowadays. Those eyes watched the smaller children play as if he were prepared to protect them at a moments notice.

"You give us hope, Walker. Hope that all dominants aren't crazy. What gave us that hope was when the children approached you. They never did that to Edmund, even when he was 'sane'."

Walker turned to her and gripped her hand. "Bianca, I can't promise you the world, but I can promise that I will do my best by you and them. Killing Edmund was an accident, but my conscience can't leave you unprotected. I'll do what I can. But you also have to understand that Jacob is my alpha. I look to him for guidance. And right now, he and his pack needs us."

Bianca studied him for a long moment before bringing his hand up to her face where she rubbed it against his skin. I couldn't help my growl.

Startled, she looked at me. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's not like that. This is just our version of a hug. Contact is very important to us." She looked up at him. "I don't have eyes for you. I don't exactly play for your team anyway."

I choked on air. "You're gay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. And I have a mate." Her eyes went back to Walker, worry clouding them. "That's ok, isn't it?"

He nodded, still in a little bit of shock. "Yeah, that's fine. Why wouldn't it be?"

Bianca wouldn't meet our eyes. "A lot of pack leaders won't let same sex couples be together because it doesn't create offspring. They want the pack to grow. Edmund was one of those. He never knew about Angelica."

At the name, a woman appeared beside Bianca, lacing her fingers with the other woman's. She was beautiful with bright red hair and amethyst eyes. Freckles were sprinkled over her cheeks and across her nose.

"Hi," she said in meek voice.

"Hi. I'm Christa."

"Angelica."

Walker and I shared a look. Walker wrapped his arm around my waist to pull me toward him.

"You're letting me have my mate. I can only return the favor. Jacob has a couple of wolves, Derek and Adam, who are madly in love, so I understand."

Angelica rested her head on Bianca's shoulder. Bianca kissed her mate's forehead.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Already you've helped us. Now, come on. Come meet your new pack."

Sharing a glance with Walker, we both took deep breaths. Angelica took my hand and, with a shy smile, pulled me forward. Taking Walker's hand, I pulled him with me.

The rest of the night, we met new people, laughed around the fire, and shared food with the children. Haleigh had even given me her doll to protect as she went to sit with Xavier by the fire so he could help her with s'mores.

Angelica leaned into me. "You're wonderful with children. And let me tell you, she never lets anyone hold that doll. It's all she really has left of her family."

"What happened to them?" I asked.

"Tristan happened. They'd gotten permission to transfer to our pack. On their way to us, they'd gotten intercepted. Tristan had wanted a go at the female. The male had protected her. One day, the older boys were hunting and found what was left of the parents. Haleigh was hiding in the shrubs, clinging to that doll for all she was worth. So again, she really likes you. Nobody else holds that doll but her."

Sorrow overtook me as I watched the little girl giggle and cuddle up to Xavier. Staring down at the doll, I brushed its hair with my fingers. That was when I decided I, like Walker, would do my best by these people. They were the only family Haleigh had.

I'd make sure it stayed intact.

As Nessie had declared, Tristan was a dead man walking.

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**Yeah, so, what do we think? Personally, I love the whole Walker a pack leader thing. And I like Bianca and Angelica. Please review? I love hearing what you have to say, good or bad. Also, if any questions, let me know. I'll be happy to answer. xoxoxoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10! And I could not be more in LOVE with this chapter. I am actually super excited about this one. It's so freaking cute! Oh, and if there are any loose ends that you just have to have tied up by the end of this story, send them to me and I'll make a list because I am sure that I will forget something and someone will be mad, so just let me know. I'm concentrating on moving forward and can't remember all my loose ends so yeah, just let me know.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy**

* * *

**RPOV**

A few days passed with Jacob and the others making plans for the trip to Denali. They were planning on Walker's new pack to help out. Today, I woke up early, but Jacob had woken up with me for a morning play between the sheets. We'd fallen back to sleep until noon. After making us both lunch, I went down to the big house while he went on his patrols.

Walking into the house, I found that it was unusually quiet as I went through the kitchen. When I went into the living room to find both televisions on. One had the news running, and the other had a video game going that Uncle Emmett was controlling. Both of them were on mute. Uncle Jasper and Carlisle were playing chess. Esme was sitting in front of the fireplace knitting what looked like baby-booties in dark green. Mom was curled up next to Dad while she read Romeo and Juliet for the umpteenth time.

She looked up with a smile. "Hey, honey. What's up?"

I shook my head and shrugged. "It's quiet down here."

"Thank goodness," Aunt Rosalie said as she came down the stairs. "We haven't had this house to ourselves in a long time. The quiet is nice. And, no offense, but the smell needs to be aired out."

Quickly, I put up my mental wall so Dad wouldn't hear what I was thinking. "Sick of us, huh?"I said as playfully as I could, but no doubt a bit of a bite came through.

Aunt Rose's expression turned horrified. She came over to me to hug me. "I'm sorry. Not you. There're just so many wolves around. It's a little claustrophobic."

I hugged her back. "Well, I guess I can talk to Jacob. Maybe we can focal point our place as the pack meeting hall, or the rez again."

Mom dog-eared her book and stood up. "It's not that we're complaining. The pack just sort of grew and took over."

I nodded, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "No, it's cool. We should have thought about it. I'll talk to him. Maybe we can get Walker's pack to set up camp between here and the rez or closer to our place." I started backing out the door. "I just dropped in to say hi. Emily asked if I could come down to help with Leila so she can get some cleaning done."

Mom looked a little crestfallen. "O-ok, sweetie. Well, have fun."

I smiled and waved before I left. Stepping back out into the cold day, I watched my breath fog out in front of me. It wasn't that I was mad at them for feeling the way they did. I was just irritated that they hadn't told us before now. How many times had they talked about wanting their space behind closed doors?

Sighing, I tucked my hands into my coat and started down the drive. Adam and Derek joined me on the walk down.

"Hey, beautiful," Derek said as he sidled up next to me.

"Hey, you. How're things?"

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Everything's great. Where ya headed? I thought you were gonna hang out at the Cullen place."

I shrugged. "I decided to go hang out with the girls. The family needs a little down time."

"Oh, well, ok."

"That's what I said." I took a deep breath. "Look, when you phase can you let the others know to steer clear of there for now? And tell Jake I need to talk to him when he gets a chance?"

He nodded while Adam frowned. "Sure, sure. Anything else you want us to tell them?"

I shook my head. "Not right now."

Derek squeezed me as Adam leaned into to kiss my cheek.

"We'll let you walk alone," Adam said.

"Thanks," I replied, smiling at them both.

Adam and Derek melted into the woods to let me walk alone, probably sensing that I didn't want any company right now. Snow started drifting down from the dark clouds but didn't stick. It wasn't cold enough yet. The water on the roads needed to freeze first. And that could happen tonight with the low temperatures we were supposed to get.

Eventually, I made it down to the rez. To get to Emily's, I had to pass Billy's house. Grampa's "civilian" car was parked in the muddy drive. I wasn't planning on stopping, though I really needed to visit with them, when Billy rolled out onto the porch.

He grinned when he saw me. "Ah, my gorgeous daughter-in-law! Haven't seen you in ages."

My grin was genuine as I pivoted to make my way through the slick mud. "Hey, Billy! It's been since the wedding, right?"

"Yeah," he said as I bent to hug him. "How are you and my son?"

"We're good. Busy, but good."

He nudged me with an elbow and winked at me. "Workin' on my grandkids, huh?"

I laughed as Grampa came out to give his friend a stern look.

"Hey, now. That's my granddaughter you're talking to."

Laughing, I hugged my grandfather. "Hey, grampa."

"Hey, sweetheart. It's good to see you. You're looking good. Jake takin' good care of you?"

"Absolutely. Sorry we haven't visited. It seems that drama just wants to settle on us."

Sue came out behind the men wiping her hands on a tile. "How's my grandson?"

"Hey, Sue." I grinned. "He's doing great. Growing a little fast because of the wolfy genes, but Carlisle says he's doing great."

"You know Paul and Rachel are trying now," Billy said.

Surprise lifted my eyebrows and lips. "Really? That's great. I'm sure Jacob is so ready for a little Paul running around."

We all chuckled as we remembered the epic fights between the two as I was growing up. But at the same time, I was worried. More kids around. That could be dangerous. Every time I thought about Leila, Brayden, or Henry in Tristan's hands, my stomach churned and bile rose up in my throat. And now, there were more children with the new pack camping at the river. I'd seen the look in those childrens' eyes. They'd known pain and fear, probably at the hands of Edmund if he'd been as nuts as Bianca had claimed.

"Ness?" Sue asked pulling me out of my thoughts. "You ok, sweetie?"

I smiled the best I could. "Yeah."

She leveled a serious stare at me. "You are a terrible liar, Renesmee Cull-uh Black."

I chuckled. I still wasn't used to my new name, and apparently, others weren't either.

"Some heavy stuff is going on and I'm just worried. It seems like every day something new pops up."

Grampa rubbed my shoulder. "Anything I can do to help?"

I shrugged. "Nothing that we aren't already doing." And then I had a thought. "Actually, if you have a way of digging into other police offices around the country that are better informed than the news, that would be amazing. We think that Tristan might be up north in Denali, but he could really be anywhere."

"Denali?" Billy said. And then his eyebrows raised. "Oh, your blonde cousins, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Tanya and Kate. And Kate's mate, Garrett." I vaguely remembered Irina's death at the hands of the Volturi just for her misinformed allegations against me. They'd played nice after Aunt Alice had shown Aro what the outcome would be if he'd chosen to go to battle with our side anyway. They'd only killed Irina for a mistake and dragging their high and mighty asses outside.

"I'll see what I can do both nationally and globally."

"Thanks, grampa."

"So were you planning on visiting us or going somewhere else?" Sue asked.

I moved my hands in my coat pockets. "Oh, just wandering around. Jacob is on his patrol shifts. Seth and Shelby are bonding with Brayden. Walker and Christa are probably...uh, doing some bonding of their own."

Billy rolled his eyes. "It's about time he came back and took care of business. That poor girl has needed a good man for a long time. Jake was good for her as a brother-type, but she needed a man in her life."

I turned to grampa. "Oh, and speaking of Walker, he just inherited a pack. So, if you get calls about wolves or a camp on the river, it's them."

He gave me a look. "Inherited?"

"That's the best word I have. Trust me, you don't wanna know the details."

He blew out a breath and put the can of beer to his lips.

Behind us, a car pulled up the drive. I didn't recognize the car, but as soon as it got close enough, I recognized Rebecca. She waved as she got out of the car and opened the back to let Henry out. As soon as he was free, he ran over to us.

"Ness-Ness," he called as he wrapped his arms around my legs.

I patted his back. "Hey, buddy."

"Hey, guys," Rebecca said, slinging a boy's backpack onto her shoulder. "He just couldn't wait to come see Pawpaw."

Letting go of me, Henry went to crawl into Billy's lap. I backed up off the crowded porch.

"Uh, I think I'm going to head on out. I was going to see Emily to check on them, maybe give her some time to clean." I started backing down the drive. "It was good to see you guys. I'll tell Jake we gotta visit."

They all waved at me as I walked off. For once, I was happy to be alone, to have some time to myself to think.

**ChristaPOV**

Walker and I had spent last night with the pack in the largest tent. They'd insisted. Over the past couple days, Walker had been planning with Jacob and Caden while Nessie had helped me learn what little she knew about alpha females. Bianca and Angelica had spent the time introducing us to the pack one on one.

It was after lunchtime and I had gone on a walk to think a little bit while Walker had gone to find Jacob to discuss the patrols. On my way back, I could just make out the tents through the trees.

To my right, a crash sounded along with a patter of little feet over leaves. Turning in surprise, I watched as Haleigh scrambled through the brush, her long braid getting caught for just a second. Her eyes were wide and terrified, tears spilling over her face as she clutched her doll to her chest. A red mark marred the skin around her mouth.

"Christa!" she shouted as she raced over to me, wrapping her little body around my leg.

"Haleigh, what's wrong? What happened?" I bent down and she flung herself into my arms.

The girl was no older than six years old and had no memory of her parents seeing as how they'd been murdered three years ago. Luckily she'd been found not a day after the killings. She'd been saved. Thankfully, she remembered nothing about that day. Bianca had gone into further description of how they'd found her.

I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up, cradling her head to my shoulder as she cried into my hair. I rubbed her back soothingly.

"Haleigh, can you tell me what happened?" I asked softly, stroking strands of her hair back.

She whimpered. "He tried to hurt me."

"Who?" I demanded as gently as he could.

"Malik." And then she started sobbing, her little body trembling against me.

I rocked her. "What happened? Can you tell me what he did?"

"He-he-he pushed me. And-and then he s-slapped his hand on my mouth. I c-couldn't s-scream."

Before I could say anything, the bushes rustled again. A tall man with a buzz cut and scars all over him stepped through the shrubs with an evil glint in his eyes.

"So the little brat told on me," he fake pouted. His glare was cold when I met it with one of my own. "You know you're not one of us. They should never have accepted you. Shapeshifters don't belong with lycanthropes. Shapeshifters are abominations," he spat at me with a level of hatred I'd only heard from my father. "At least we were born human."

Slowly, he walked forward. For every step of his, I took two backward. Haleigh trembled in my arms.

"Get away from us," I growled.

He just growled back. The pressure in the air tightened, and I looked at his hands. They were growing wicked claws. His eyes flashed amber.

"I should rid the world of you."

I tripped just as he lunged forward. Clutching Haleigh to my chest, I squeezed my eyes closed and started to roll on top of her to take the blow when I realized I no longer felt movement. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Malik frozen, his chin raised, but not out of arrogance. There were claws at his throat and another set dug into his side. Blood ran over those misshapen fingers.

"That's my mate you just threatened."

I sighed in relief as Walker's growling voice rang a bell deep inside me.

"Christa, take the girl back to the camp. Now. I need to have a talk with our new friend."

Getting to my feet with Haleigh still glued to me, I gave one last glare to Malik as I did what my alpha male had commanded.

**WalkerPOV**

I didn't let go of Malik, not even after the girls were in the camp and safe.

"You got a thing for little girls?" I demanded in a growl.

I felt him swallow hard. "What can I say? She looked tasty."

Getting his meaning as the literal, I disgustedly threw him away from me.

He landed hard on all fours.

"You stay away from her. I would tell you to leave, but then you'd find Tristan, and I can't have that."

Sitting down hard, he held a hand to his side. "Stay away or what?" he spat.

I went to kneel in front of him with a smile. "Don't think that I don't remember you. You were one of my torturers. And believe me, I learned a lot from you." I gave him serious eye contact while that sank in. When he swallowed hard and looked uncertain, I jumped in. "You go after another female, I will shove your dick so far up your ass, you'll know what it's like to give yourself head. But you go after my mate again, and I will skin you alive so slowly, you will_ beg_ for death. Instead of killing you myself, I'll leave you in the woods to be eaten alive." Again, we did the stare. He was trying to decided whether I was lying, wanting to call my bluff. Only, he couldn't because I wasn't bluffing. He could hear and smell the truth of my words. "I won't ask you if we understand each other. This is your only warning. You do it again, and I will show you how not empty my threats really are."

He swallowed hard. "I understand," he said between clenched teeth.

I stood up to my full height and stared down at him. "Good. Now get up. I'm not leaving you alone. Don't think you aren't getting guards."

He slowly got to his feet. Already the blood flow was slowing. Even though he'd been marked up by one of his own kind, he was healing quickly. Either he was powerful or I hadn't gotten him that deep.

"So, since you opened your trap, tell me the difference between lycanthropy and shapeshifting."

He glared at me out of the corner of his eye. "Lycanthropes are shapeshifters, but not all shapeshifters are lycanthropes. Lycanthropy is the disease, the infection. We're born human. Shapeshifters are not."

"So I'm a lycanthrope and Christa is-,"

"An abomination," he cut in.

Growling, I reached out to grip his injured side. He let out a yell.

"She's a...what? I can't hear you." When he didn't answer, I let my claws out to do more damage. He gritted his teeth but pain shimmered from his eyes and the lines on his face. "The sooner you answer, the sooner I'll let go."

He hissed through his teeth. "A shapeshifter. She's a fucking shapeshifter."

"Watch your language," I said before ripping my claws out of him none too gently. We made it to the edge of camp and I jerked my head toward one of the tents. "Get yourself looked at."

As he stalked forward, the wolves closest to us stopped what they were doing to watch. None of them looked eager to help Malik. I paid attention to the males that watched him, how they reacted. Many of them clenched their fists and looked at him with hatred. Good. I wanted eyes on Malik at all times. Out of all the men who'd tortured me, he'd been the only one to truly enjoy it. There were some who had liked it but wouldn't go as far as he had. I remembered each and every one of them.

Once he was in one of the tents, I scanned the camp for one wolf in particular. When I found him, I walked over to where he was sitting on one of the logs around the central fire. Clapping a hand on his shoulder, I stepped over to sit down next to him.

He looked at me with surprise, the scars on his temple stretching as his eyebrows shot up.

"Walker, sir." He shifted. "Have I done something wrong?"

I chuckled. "No, Xavier. And don't call me 'sir'. That's for my dad. Just call me Walker."

"Uh, yes, si-Walker."

I smiled at him. "Good. Now, do you have any fight training."

He shook his head with a frown. "No, why?"

"Because I like you, and I like how you protect the children. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to set up training sessions with me and few other guys that I know. How do you feel about that?"

His whole demeanor changed, excitement radiating from him. "That would be amazing. Thank you, sir. I-I mean, Walker."

"Good man. Alright, my second question is how do you feel about vampires?"

His expression lost the shine and became wary. "I don't know. They smell weird."

I nodded. "That they do. But hey, a couple of those guys are vampires. You remember the group standing with me on the porch?" He nodded. "They're with them. One of them fought a few battles and came out on top. I trust him. His name is Jasper. If we can set it up, I'll be with you the whole time, okay? You feel uncomfortable and we'll leave, alright?"

He just stared at me, no doubt rolling around my scent on his tongue. And then he looked out to where the kids were playing on the bank of the river. After a few moments, his jaw clenched and he nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah I can handle that. For them."

I slapped his back. "Good man. I'll teach you how to protect them. We'll learn together. How does that sound?"

He nodded, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Sounds good. You're a good man, Walker."

I laughed. "I'm not much older than you, you know. You're what? Fifteen, sixteen?"

"Sixteen."

"Well, I'm only eighteen. Almost nineteen."

Turning, he gave me wide eyes. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really. So don't sell yourself short. You've got some potential. We'll pull it out of ya."

He grinned at me as a shadow fell across us. Looking up, I found Christa with Haleigh in her arms. Standing up, I rubbed a hand over the girl's back.

"Hey. I'm sorry. I should have come to check on you."

Christa shook her head, smiling at Xavier. "Not necessary. We're fine, just a little shaken up."

I was about to turn to go find Bianca when I felt little hands grip my shirt. Turning back, Haleigh transferred herself to my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her head on my shoulder, and her legs wound around my middle as far as they could go. I'd had no choice but to support her with my arms, one under her bottom and the other around her back. She snuggled into me and sighed contentedly.

Both Christa and Xavier were giving me looks of utter astonishment. Even some of the others stopped to stare. It seemed as though the girl had no intentions of letting go any time soon. In fact, it seemed as though she was working her way into sleep mode.

Instead of making a big fuss over it, I just looked over to Christa. "You know where Bianca is?" I asked softly.

She nodded. Her expression melted as she watched me rock a little with Haleigh. "In her tent."

"I need to talk to her." I turned to Xavier. "Thanks, man. I'll let you know about the training, okay?"

He nodded. "Sure. Just take care of her until I can."

I rubbed Haleigh's back. "Of course."

Moments later, we were ducking into Bianca and Angelica's tent. Their jaws dropped as they caught a look at me and my charge. Again, instead of indulging the surprise, I just started asking questions.

"Bianca, I need to know the males I can trust for guard duty."

She frowned. "That would depend on whom you're guarding."

"Malik," Christa said in distaste.

"He went after the two of them about a half hour ago. I already told him what I'd do if he did it again, but I want him guarded. There's no way to let him go. He'd probably just run over to Tristan, and we can't afford that right now."

Bianca nodded. "Good point." She rambled off some names in a little bit louder voice. A moment later, six men were standing just inside the tent. All of them big, and every one of them had looked at Malik with hatred. "Every single one of them has a reason to hate the bastard. They'll be the best."

I nodded and turned to them. "Good. I need you guys to split up into shifts to watch out for him. He needs to stay away from the kids and the females. If he has to interact with them, make sure it isn't for very long. He does anything, you call me. I'll be the one to take care of him."

Not one of them flinched or argued, both of which I was expecting. They just looked at me, and then one by one bowed at the neck voicing their affirmative. In front of me, they dished out their shifts and paired up into twos. When they looked to me for my approval, I shrugged and nodded. Then they were gone.

"Wow," Angelica said. "The pack really does like you."

"I'll also need to keep an eye on those who helped Malik with my torture."

Bianca nodded. "I'll get some guys on that if you want."

It was my turn to nod as Haleigh shifted in my arms. "Sounds good. Again, also I gotta talk to you about patrols and Jacob's plan to go up north to Denali. There's some business dealing with Tristan. After you and I talk, we can have a pack meeting."

She nodded but asked, "What are you doing right now?"

"I think we're gonna take Haleigh home with us. She's scared and needs some rest in an actual bed." I looked over to Christa questioningly. She nodded. Each tent had pallets of blankets and sleeping bags, and the children had been given cots with numerous blankets, but nothing beat a good mattress. "I have some things to figure out. Think you handle the rest of the night on your own?"

She grinned at me. "Puh-lease. I handled them after you took off. We'll be alright. I do have your number and the satellite phone."

I nodded. "Good deal." Then I turned to Christa. "Let's get her home," I said stroking Haleigh's back. She was fast asleep, her doll gripped in one hand, the hair at the nape of my neck in the other.

"You know," Angelica said, "she never lets anyone hold her like that. She'll hug people and sit in Xavier's lap, but nothing like that."

"It's only because I stopped Malik from hurting her."

All three women shook their heads in unison.

"That's not it, Walker," Bianca said. "Those men no doubt would have questioned you had they not seen her. You don't understand how big a deal this is. But you will, in time. Once you understand more about our kind."

Reaching out to grip her shoulder, I met her eyes then Angelica's. "I plan on learning everything. You and these people need protection and to be cared for. I'll do everything I can without going insane."

She gave me a smirk. "I'll believe it when I see it. Edmund was the same way."

"Pfft, I've already proven some of it." I motioned to the girl in my arms. "The kids like me, remember? You told me they didn't even like Edmund when he wasn't loco. And I don't mind the two of you together. Everybody should have choices."

They laughed. "You have a point, I suppose." Reaching forward, Bianca stroked Haleigh's hair. "Take care of her. To earn a child's trust like Haleigh's is a rare thing. Don't think so little of it just to be humble."

Minutes later, after saying our goodbyes, we left the camp. It would be a shorter trek to the rez if we crossed the Cullen property. We did and used their drive to hit the road. On it, we met up with Embry and Tricia. Perfect timing.

"Hey, guys," Tricia said excitedly, hugging Christa. When she turned to me, she froze. "Oh, wow. Who is she?" she asked softly.

"Her name is Haleigh. She's had a very rough day," Christa said.

"More like a rough life," I murmured.

Tricia's face melted. "She's adorable."

"Yeah, she is, but we gotta get her home out of the cold. Don't want her getting sick."

"Where did she come from?" Tricia asked.

Embry and I shared a look. He nodded after a moment of consideration.

"I...inherited a pack of my own. I'll have to introduce you to them."

"Really?" she said excitedly.

"Yeah, sure. They're pretty cool. You'd like them."

"Definitely," Christa said.

"Can't wait!"

Laughing, I said, "Come on, let's get this kid out of the cold." The snow had started spitting once more.

Embry and Tricia both nodded. Tricia was wearing a rather large fleece long-sleeved shirt over her clothes as her coat. I gave a look to Embry who shrugged.

"She refuses to wear a jacket."

I smirked. "I can't imagine why."

Tricia glared at both of us.

"So what are you guys up to?" Christa asked with a chuckle.

"We were just gonna hang out at my house," Embry said. "It's quieter there, if you know what I mean."

And I did know. I also knew he didn't mean it in a sexual way. My parents just had that effect on people.

"Mom and dad know about this little hang out session?" I asked Tricia.

She crossed her arms over her chest and thrust her chin into the air. "I shouted it on the way out. Charlie stood up for me before. He'll do it again."

I nodded. "Yeah, you live alone?" I asked Embry.

He shrugged. "My mom went back up to the Makah rez and left me with the house when I wouldn't go back with her." His tone was bitter.

"Well, I sense an interesting story," I said jokingly.

He chuckled. "Not really."

I smelled the lie. Maybe it wasn't interesting, but it was something not boring. "Liar," I said with a smirk, but I didn't push the topic. "Any plans?"

Tricia wrapped her arms around one of Embry's. "Probably just a movie day. It's cold and spitting snow. Perfect day for hot chocolate and movies."

"That does sound good," Christa murmured.

Well, I knew our plans for the rest of the afternoon and night. Luckily, she had a collection of Disney movies that Haleigh would probably enjoy. That is, if the girl woke up.

"Well, this is where we need to part ways," Embry said. "I'm this way."

Tricia turned to me with a grin, squeezing my fingers where she could reach them without disturbing Haleigh. "I'm glad you're happy, Walker."

I grinned at her, eyes flicking to Embry. "I'm happy for you, too, Trish."

"See you later, guys," Embry said, wrapping an arm around my sister and pulling her into his body. She snuggled into him.

"Bye."

"They're so cute together," Christa gushed as we watched them walk away.

I nodded. "Yeah they do look good."

Eventually, we made it to Christa's place. Once inside, I tried to put Haleigh in the extra bedroom, but she wouldn't let go of me. She frowned and whimpered in her sleep when I tried to pry her fingers apart.

"Okay, sweetie, okay," I whispered standing up straight again.

Christa leaned up to press a kiss to my lips. "I'll go get the hot chocolate ready. We can watch movies while she sleeps."

Sighing, I went to sit on the couch. Haleigh repositioned herself and snuggled into my chest, her arms tucked into her body as her legs straddled my waist. I wrapped my arms around her. Her braid was loose today so I didn't think it bothered her to keep it.

I stroked that braid down her back. This little girl had been through so much hell. She had no parental figures and only a brother-like presence in her life. And though I hadn't shown it then, what Bianca and Angelica had said had affected me hard. Haleigh didn't even know me, but she trusted me enough to protect her while she slept in my arms. I'd never given much thought to being a father, but this tiny thing pulled at the paternal strings in me. Though I was only eighteen, I knew that this protectiveness I felt was more than the brotherly type I felt toward Tricia. When I'd heard what Malik had said, what Haleigh herself had said he'd done, my vision had swam in variants of red.

I hadn't met Haleigh the first time I'd come across the pack. She'd been on a shopping trip with some of the other females that took care of her. And then that night, Edmund had returned and put me through hell.

"Here you go," Christa said softly, a mug appearing in my vision.

Smiling up at her, I took it and set it on the table at my elbow.

"She looks comfy." Christa sat down beside me to snuggle into my side. "I know how she feels."

Chuckling, I leaned over to kiss her forehead. "This is a lot for you, huh?" I said.

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged. "I mean me coming back. Us...cementing the relationship instead of going slower. And now this. Standing by my side as my alpha female. It's gotta be a lot for you."

It was her turn to shrug the best she could leaning into my side. "Maybe, but as long as you and I are good, I don't care what comes at me. Walker, you're my main focus. You may be the man of the relationship, and I will happily let you wear the pants, but you're_ my_ imprint. I need you to be happy. As long as you're ok and you won't leave me, I'll walk beside you through the fires of hell."

I kissed her forehead again and kept my lips pressed to her skin. "I swore to you that I'm not leaving. If I had that intention, I wouldn't have made love to you. Remember? It was an 'I'm yours forever' type of deal? I believe those were your words."

I felt the warmth flood over her as she grinned. "I love it that you remember things like that."

"Of course I remember everything about that day. You let me love you. No other guy can say that. Nobody's ever trusted me like that."

"I love you, Walker. So much. It scares me, because I loved my dad and we all know how that worked out. I'm terrified of this, of us, but my heart is telling me that you're it. And that this life is right. We can help these people, together. I very much want to do that."

I grinned. "Me, too," I whispered before pressing my lips to hers as she looked up at me. "I love you. I will always protect you no matter what."

Reaching over, she stroked Haleigh's back. "This poor thing. She's so tiny and defenseless. What are we gonna do?"

"Take care of her."

"What?" She sat up to give me a look.

I shrugged. "Christa, you heard Angelica and Bianca. She doesn't trust anyone except for Xavier, and until he gets some training, he can't protect her. I can."

"You're practically saying we're adopting her."

"Is that such a bad thing? I mean, could you really just leave her up there while we're down here, not knowing what's going on? Malik won't stop. He'll find a way. I know the man unfortunately. For some reason, she picked us. We can't just abandon her. I won't abandon her. I did that to you, and you thought it was your fault. It'll be the same for her if we leave her alone."

She studied me for a space of heartbeats, and then looked down at the little girl snoozing in my arms.

"Okay. We'll keep her here. What about the other kids, though?"

I shrugged again. "They're older than she is. And they know to go to the adults. Haleigh just doesn't trust the males enough to go to them. And it probably didn't occur to her to go to the females."

Christa blew out a breath. "Alright. Although I would like them closer to us."

"Maybe I can talk Jake into letting them set camp in the woods behind us?"

"What about the community center? They have rooms and beds for when people can't stay at home. They might have some room."

"We can try there, too. I'd really like to get them set up on Roderick's land."

She rested her elbow on my shoulder so that she could play her nails through my hair. "So you're really serious about them, aren't you? No more trial run?"

I sighed, closing my eyes and enjoying the touch. "I just can't leave them. I took their leader from them. There's just no way I can let them become anyone's meat. And I think it's about time for them to learn that packs don't have to be run on fear like Caden said. They can be run on trust and loyalty." I frowned. "It's a lot like sports, actually."

Christa laughed, her sultry voice warm in my ear. "I love you so much."

I raised my eyebrow. "So you're in?"

She nodded, staring at Haleigh who had turned her head toward Christa and smiled in her sleep. "I'm totally in."

"Good. I need you."

She grinned and rolled her eyes. "Isn't that the truth," she muttered before leaning into my lips.

**TriciaPOV**

Embry led me down a small dirt road that ran into the woods far enough that I couldn't see the main road or any other buildings.

"Well, this is cozy," I said, meaning it.

He smiled at me, squeezing my hand. "It's actually pretty awesome. When the pack first came out to the rez, they were all in awe and always wanted to be around us." He shrugged. "It was good to have an escape. The people didn't want to get too close to the woods because they considered that our territory. With my house in the middle of the woods, they didn't want to intrude."

"That is pretty awesome. I'd love an escape, too."

He lifted my knuckles to his lips. "Well, this is yours now."

"Embry-,"

He shook his head. "I'm serious. If you need a place to escape to, don't hesitate. I'll give you a key so you can come here whether I'm here or not."

My heart melted and pounded at the same time. We were really doing this, progressing, trusting. And then we rounded a bend in the dirt drive. I gasped.

"Oh my god, it's beautiful."

"It's tiny."

I slapped his arm. "It's beautiful and really, well, cozy. I always hated our house. It's so big, but this is perfect."

It wasn't like the other houses. In fact, it was more like a cottage slash cabin. Well kept yard. The structure was made out of rough stones, which is what gave it the cottage feel. The cabin vibe came from the log porch surrounding the house. It was wrap-around.

"My dad had it built for me and my mom so that she could live down here close to him."

I looked at him. His face was tight with forced indifference, but underneath, I could see the anger shine in his eyes.

"You never talk about your dad."

"Because he's a player. God only knows where he is or who he's seducing." When I gave him raised eyebrows, he sighed. "You know Sam?" I nodded. "He's my half-brother."

I gasped, jaw dropping. "What?"

Embry nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "He doesn't know. Growing up, I knew my mother was Makah. After I phased, I knew my father had to be Quileute. My mother had lied to me before then, saying that my father had been abusive and that's why she'd fled the Makah rez for here. The candidates for my father had to have been Uley, Black, or Ateara. I was pretty sure it wasn't Jacob's dad. He'd loved his wife and would never have been unfaithful. Quil's dad?" He shook his head. "I look nothing like him. But Uley? Sam and I have been told we looked a like. And that SOB dad of his wasn't there for Sam growing up. About a month ago, my mom demanded that I go back up with her. I said no. I couldn't leave Jake and my pack. And then she told me who my dad was thinking that I would have to leave because I wouldn't be able to face Sam."

"What happened?"

"I told her to go if she wanted but that I couldn't leave. The Makahs wouldn't take me in anyway. I stood beside Jake when he threatened them. Not to mention, because of the blood tie, I have a niece."

I stroked a hand up his arm. "Are you going to tell him?"

He shrugged. "I probably should. He's probably guessing the same thing. Everybody knows about the possibility but nobody says anything. I just know for sure."

Gripping his hand, I smiled up at him. "I think you should tell him. He'd probably like to know that he has family other than his douche dad out there somewhere. And that his daughter has a blood uncle."

Looking down at me, he wrapped me in his arms. "I think you're right." Leaning down, he pressed his lips to mine. "Let's get you inside. Your lips are cold."

I laughed. "I'm pretty sure you'll have no problem warming them back up."

His grin was all wolf. "Mmmm, challenge accepted."

**JPOV**

Taking a break on my patrols, I stopped where I'd hidden my phone and checked it. Derek had delivered a message from Ness saying to steer clear of the Cullen house, that they needed some space and that she needed to talk to me.

First, I would return Carlisle's call. No doubt it was about the results of my tests.

"Hello, Jacob."

"Hey, doc. I see you called."

"Yes, just one second." What sounded like a breeze sounded through the phone as he moved. Then the click of a door closing, paper rustling. "I do have your results."

I waited for him to continue. When he didn't, I said, "And?" impatiently.

He chuckled. "And everything looks normal. Normal activity, normal hormone levels."

"Normal for human or wolf?"

"Well, since I've been studying your pack for years, I'll say normal for wolf." He paused. And then, "Don't forget that Sam also had issues conceiving with his mate."

Ah. Subtly, he let me know that he'd done the same tests on Sam and probably Emily. Though it had probably violated some rule, he'd let me know that he'd been paying attention to my people.

"Thanks, doc. So, I'm good, huh?"

"Excellent as far as I can tell."

I took a deep, relieved breath. I hadn't realized I'd been worried. "Then, Ness is just going to have to believe your explanation of it's not the right time for us."

He chuckled. "The same was said of your former alpha."

"Ah, so apparently, it runs in the alphas."

"I'm not sure, but it seems to reason. Emily didn't conceive until he decided to stop phasing to be with her and you took over both packs. So again, it stands to reason."

"But Ness and I are going to be around longer than Sam and Emily." Man, that thought hurt.

Sympathy coated Carlisle's voice. "This true. That's why I said stress as the main cause. Nessie may not be feeling it, but it's there. Of course it is. Her mate is alpha and is constantly putting himself in danger to protect his people. She's in charge of the females, to make sure they're comfortable and have everything they need. And then balancing personal time. It's a lot to deal with. Very stressful. I think once things calm down, the two of you will be expecting sooner than you think."

I took a deep breath and let it out through my mouth. "I sure hope you're right, doc. Alright. Let me call her. Thanks for your help."

"My pleasure. Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do. Bye, Carlisle."

"Goodbye, Jacob."

Hanging up, I pressed the speed dial for Ness. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, baby. What are you up to?"

"Oh, just wandering around the rez. Wanted some time alone."

Immediately, my wolf went on alert. "Are you alone?"

A sound over the phone made me think she was moving her head around, as if she were searching.

"I think Adam and Derek are slinking around here somewhere. They knew that I wanted some time alone, so they're watching from a distance."

Another deep breath had my wolf easing down. "Good. Listen, I just called Carlisle. He had my results."

"And?" she demanded, mimicking me.

I chuckled. "Everything's normal."

A sigh of relief.

"Good. I'm glad, but-"

"'But' nothing. It's just not our time, okay? Don't worry. Carlisle said that he thinks once all the stress dies down, we'll be expecting before we know it. And I am inclined to agree with him. We're both under tons of stress right now. I will give you a baby, Nessie. I swear it."

"Right. I'm being selfish again."

I rolled my eyes and held the phone away from my mouth as I growled. "Stop that. Don't make me order you to. Geez, woman. It's okay to worry. But now that we've both been checked out and have been deemed perfect for reproduction, you're going to stop worrying about this, understand?"

She giggled. "Yes, sir."

I growled in appreciation. "Mmm, I like when you talk like that."

"Oh, shut up. Don't you have a patrol to finish?"

I sobered up. "Yeah, but Derek said you needed to talk to me. What's up?"

She sighed. "We need to move the pack's central command. My family miss having their house to themselves."

I frowned. "I didn't know they felt that way."

"I didn't either until I went down there after you went on patrols." Another sound shuffled through the phone. She sighed again. "We could use our place."

Immediately, my wolf wanted to shout a no-go for that plan. But I overrode it. "You'd do that? Open our home?"

"It's our pack, Jake. What else would we do? As long as I got my personal time with you at night, I think I could handle it."

"What about the rez?"

"And where on the rez is big enough now? The pack is huge. Our cabin can handle the ins and outs of the pack."

"Good point." I sighed. "Okay, I'll put out a pack-wide text and mind-meld. I wish they would have said something, though."

"That's what I said," she growled angrily. "I mean, we should have thought about it, too. But we'll do something about it now. I'll go to the grocery store and get some extra food."

"Take Derek and Adam with you."

I could hear her grin. "Yes, baby. I know the rules."

I growled. "Good. You better follow 'em, too. And hey, take the truck just in case you're late getting out. I put chains on the tires before I left. The weather's getting colder. The roads will probably freeze."

"Aww, you really are Prince Charming."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. After I get done with patrols, I'll probably head down to the shop. Frank texted me earlier saying he had quite a few cars needing preparations for colder weather. Me and Seth are going in."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll be home for dinner, but might go back to the shop afterward."

"Sounds good."

"You sure you can handle that much alone time?"

She laughed. "Yes, Jacob. I have a few books to catch up on anyway."

I gasped in mock hurt. "You're cheating on me with those romance novels, aren't you?"

Her laugh was deep and genuine. "Yes, yes I am._ Actually_, I replace the main characters with you and me. But that stays between us, understand?"

I laughed at her mimicking me again. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now go finish patrols."

I made an exasperated noise. "If I must." Then I got serious again. "Seriously, I love you. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will. You, too. I love you."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up. Putting my phone back in my jeans in their hiding spot, I checked the other pocket for my wedding band just to make sure it was there. Once I felt the edges of the wolves etched into it, I felt better.

Phasing back, I stretched and took inventory of who all was with me.

_Okay, guys, listen up._ When they all tuned in, I continued._ The Cullens need some space at their place, so we're going to start with pack meetings, gatherings, and feedings at my and Nessie's cabin._

_What, they don't love us anymore?_ Leah asked.

Though I knew she was joking, I answered her anyway._ It's not that they don't love us anymore. It's just there are a lot of wolves invading their space now. They've done a lot for us over the years. It's the least we could do. So pass it around and make sure everybody knows._

Various affirmations tossed through my mind.

_Is anybody close to Walker?_

_Derek and I are,_ Adam confirmed._ They're at Christa's place with a little girl._

Interesting. _Alright, could you stop in and tell him that we need to move his pack?_

_Okay, but where to?_

_Somewhere close to them. Maybe outside the rez? And take care of my wife._

I could mentally see his grin._ Sure thing._

And then he was gone.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to just pull what Nessie was. Except I wasn't going to think of anything important but the run and her. And when I got to the shop, I'd be in my own head.

Thank goodness for small blessings.

**ChristaPOV**

The three of us had started snoozing when a soft knock came at my door. Unraveling myself from Walker's arms, I went for the door and found a completely naked Adam on the other side.

"Hey, Adam. What's up? Everything ok?" I asked as I stepped outside just in case Haleigh woke up

He nodded. "Yeah, Jake just wanted me to let you know that the Cullens need some space from all the wolves. He was wondering if you and Walker would be willing to move your pack to just outside the rez. And pack meetings will be at Jake and Nessie's place."

Taken aback, my eyebrows met my hairline. "Wow. Walker and I were just talking about trying to get them closer to us. Uh, yeah sure that would be great." I wrapped sweater tighter around me. "So the Cullens are sick of us, huh?"

Adam smiled. "Apparently, they want some home space, which is understandable. We did kind of take over their house. And there are a lot of wolves around now. It would make sense that they're on edge."

I nodded. "True. But yeah, tell Jake that would be great. We'll talk to them tomorrow. We're kind of in for the night."

"Sure. Nessie's going up to the store and Derek and I are going with her. You need anything?"

I shook my head. "Nah. Thanks, though. There's a market just up the street, remember?"

"Ah, right. I'm not down here enough if I can't remember that." He stepped into the yard. "Call me if you need anything."

Laughing at the stares of the women and men passing him, I nodded. "Sure. Now phase before you get arrested for public indecency."

Looking behind him, he blushed and phased.

Chuckling, I went back inside and closed the door softly behind me. Walker had stretched out on the couch. Haleigh was sprawled across his chest, her thumb in her mouth. He looked at me sleepily.

"Who was that?"

I went to sit on the coffee table. "Adam. He said that Jake wants us to move our pack to just outside the rez. The Cullens are feeling a bit overrun from all the wolves."

He scrubbed his face with one hand. "Damn, I didn't even think about that."

"Also, the pack meetings are moving to Jake's place."

His eyebrows rose. "Wow, they really are sick of us, huh?"

I laughed. "Seems to be the general consensus."

Reaching out, he gripped my fingers to play with them. "Did you tell him we'll talk to them tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Glancing at the clock, I realized we'd been asleep for about an hour. "Let me get dinner started."

"Don't slave away," he said as I stood up.

Bending over the arm of the couch, I kissed him upside down. "I didn't think spaghetti was slave work, but ok."

He chuckled as he kissed me back.

Haleigh shifted on top of him, smacking her lips. A moment later, her pretty, dark blue eyes opened. Moving only her head, she looked up at both of us.

I grinned. "Well, hello, Sleeping Beauty."

Her brows pulled down in confusion. "Sleeping Beauty?"

Again, surprise colored my expression. "You've never seen that movie?"

She shook her head.

Straightening up, I put my hands on my hips and gave her a mock-serious look. "Well, now, we can't have that. I shall fix that problem immediately."

She giggled as I made a show of going to my movie cabinet. I hummed animatedly as I pretended to look for my favorite Disney movie. All of them were in alphabetical order, but that giggle was worth it.

"Aha!" Taking it out and flourishing it around, I twirled over to the entertainment center, which Walker had turned on. The tray to the DVD player was already open and the television on.

Heleigh had climbed out of his lap to sit next to him, cuddled into his side, her doll gripped to her chest. One of his heavy arms was draped over her shoulder. Walker was laughing at me, which I made a face at him for.

Once the movie was in and going through all the credits, I knelt in front of her. "Do you like spaghetti?"

Another confused look. "Sa-sp...pasketti?"

Walker and I shared looks of horror.

"You've never had spaghetti?"

She shook her head, her fly-away hairs waving in the air.

I couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness. Reaching forward, I tickled her middle. She giggled and scrunched together, pushing further into Walker's side. He chuckled as he gently tickled her neck.

"Well, then tonight we shall have pasketti. How does that sound?"

She giggled some more until the music from the main menu of the movie blared out behind me. Her little neck arched sideways to see around me. And then she looked at me with excitement. I was starting to wonder if she'd ever seen a movie before let alone a television.

Moving out of her way, I grabbed the remote. "You ready?" I asked. When she nodded, I hit play. Her eyes lit up.

I shared a look with Walker as my eyes teared up. He squeezed my hand as I passed, and I let the tears fall where she couldn't see them. He kissed my fingers but let me go so that I could go into the kitchen to have a moment to myself. Leaning on the counter, listening to Haleigh laugh, I wondered if all the kids had grown up like that in the camp. Not that it was a bad thing. It was actually good survival training. But still, they were kids and deserved some fun other than hunting and eating whatever they'd killed. Movies and popcorn. Desserts and home-cooked meals. We'd definitely be talking to Bianca about building those houses on Roderick's land. These kids needed a home, a steady life rather than nomadic. They needed stability and schooling.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist and warm lips settled on my shoulder. "You ok?"

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Yeah. I'm just thinking about what we could do for these kids. They need a home, Walker. A true childhood."

"Maybe they like the way they grew up."

"You can't tell me that all those packs are nomadic."

"I didn't say that, sweetie. But listen, this life is all they've ever known. Before we make any decisions, we need to see what they want. Maybe they won't like technology the way we do. But I do agree about the home. I want them out of those tents and in warm beds. All of them, not just the kids." He stroked his warm hands up my stomach under my shirt. "They did seem excited about Bianca's proposal for buildings."

"See?" I said, turning around to wrap my arms around his neck.

"We'll talk to them. I promise. For tonight, let's just enjoy that little girl's amusement."

He pressed his lips to mine. I deepened the kiss until neither one of us could breathe. Pulling apart, breathing heavily, he turned around. Haleigh was leaning over the back of the couch, watching us. A giant grin spread over her face.

Walker made a face at her. "What are you doing?" He hunkered down and rushed toward her. Her laugh was high pitched and cute as wind chimes in the rain as Walker grabbed her up and play-growled into her neck. He blew raspberries into her skin as he walked around the couch to sit down with her in his lap. "You're supposed to be watching the movie, not us."

"But you're pretty," she said.

Walker gasped. "Why thank you! But what about Miss Christa?"

She giggled. "You're both pretty, silly."

"Ahh," Walker said in playful understanding.

Looking over his shoulder, he winked at me. "We're pretty."

I shrugged. "Well, when she's right, we can't argue."

Haleigh glared up at Walker. When he looked back down at her, she put a finger to her lips. "Shhhh! I'm watching."

He made like he was zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Grinning, she put her thumb back in her mouth and rested her head on his shoulder. He hugged her to him and rested his cheek on her hair.

Watching them, I had the thought that that little girl belonged here.

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**Please please please review this chapter. If you review any chapter, let it be this one. And I wanna know what you think! I love your reviews. If they had a "like" button I'd be clicking like a mad woman! xoxoxoxo Love you guys! Oh and sorry for all the typos in the last chapter. Boy, there were a lot of them. In my defense, I was doped up on cold meds.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11! Sorry it's been a few days, but hey, at least I'm back. This chapter didn't come to me as easily as the last one because I know that everybody is all about Jake/Nessie, but I needed to add a some Embry/Tricia and Shelby/Seth. I think I like Shelby more now than I did when she first came in the picture. And in this chapter, there's a surprise for all who like a certain girl with a bug's name! Ha! And a lot of you are wondering why Walker didn't just kill Malik. Well, you're gonna have to ask him, but I have a feeling I know why.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

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**RPOV**

Derek insisted on driving the truck to the store. I sat in the passenger seat while Adam sat in the back of the extended cab. We parked out in the back of the parking lot instead of fighting for a front spot. The three of us were warm-natured anyway even though we were dressed for cold weather. Both boys were in leather jackets and jeans. I was in a coat, knit cap, and gloves. We'd survive the walk.

We were almost to the door when I heard, "'Scuse me, pardon me, coming through. 'Scuse me, you big muscle-y guy, you."

"Hey!" Derek exclaimed as he was pushed away from me.

Looking over, I found Cricket beaming at me as she locked her arm through mine.

"Hey, sweetness. Nice boyfriends."

"What the hell?" Adam said.

"It's okay, guys. She's a friend," I said quickly.

She scoffed. "Of course I am. And the guy behind us is my man. You touch him, I'll poke your eyes out."

Both guys turned when I did. Trey waved at me keeping an eye on the two werewolves.

Turning back to Cricket, I grinned. "Oh my god, where have you been?"

She rolled her eyes. "We told you that we'd stay out of the way, didn't we?" She waved her hand before I could answer. "Anyway, I had another vision. And though I don't really understand how it will help me find what I'm after, I needed to tell you."

"What is it?"

Suddenly, her expression turned serious. "It's good that your bodyguards are here to hear this. Somebody's going to come after you."

"What?" Derek and Adam demanded at the same time.

Cricket rolled her eyes. "Are all werewolves this dramatic? By the way, how's Kujo?"

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Stay on track. What do you mean someone's coming after me? There are a couple people I can think of."

Shrugging, she rested her head on my shoulder as we made it through the door. Adam grabbed a cart even though I could tell by the set of his jaw and shoulders that he wasn't happy about my visitor or cart duty.

"All I saw was your back. It's kind of like I was looking through the bad person's eyes but not. They had a knife or something."

"When? You said your visions were time specific so you could be there."

She frowned. "Two days from now. Next to a river. I didn't get an exact time."

As I waited for more, she just picked up a peach to examine it.

"Is that it?"

"Hm?" she asked distracted. "Oh, yeah. That's it. That's all I got. So you need to watch your pretty back, sweetness. Someone's going to be all over it, and not in the married sex kind of way."

Behind us, Trey groaned as I blushed. Derek's eyebrows were raised and his lips were held in a tight line as if he were trying not to smile. Adam's teeth gnashed together.

Stepping forward, I took charge of the cart. Adam glared down at Cricket.

"Thanks for the warning. You can leave now."

"Adam-," I scolded.

Cricket's eyes went cold. "Listen, dipstick, I'm not here for you. And I don't care if you like me or not, so step off."

Adam growled, but Derek gripped his lover's arm. "Not here. We're gathering attention," he whispered. He turned to me. "It might help if you tell us who they are and why she's here."

I sighed as I examined a head of lettuce. "Her name is Brigette, and he's Trey. Everyone calls her Cricket, don't ask why. But she has visions, and they led her to Jake and me on the honeymoon. They followed us here. That's that."

"But what do you want?" Adam demanded as calmly as he could.

"That's a good question," she answered grudgingly. She sighed. "Look, I didn't come here to fight. My visions have a certain specificity to them. When my heart truly desires something, I get a vision to help lead me to it, okay? I'm a freak. I get it. But somehow, Nessie and Jacob are involved in gathering the information I desire on my family."

I dropped the lettuce. "Your family?"

She nodded but didn't elaborate. I suspected I wouldn't be getting anymore information out of her about it. Derek and Adam shared a look as if they were thinking about the same person I was. I shook my head. I wasn't quite ready to drag my family into it. And if her visions led her to what she wanted, and Aunt Alice was part of it, why hadn't Cricket seen my aunt in a vision? So for now, my family would be left out.

I picked up the lettuce again and examined it before moving on. "So, is that it? There's nothing else?"

Going over to the grapes, she examined a bag before popping a little green one into her mouth. "I still wanna know how Kujo is."

I couldn't help the laugh. "_Jacob_ is fine."

"Jacob shmacob," she said, popping another grape.

"You know, you keep doing that, you're going to have to buy the bag."

She shook her head. "I'm picking from different bags."

I smacked her hand as she went for another one. "Well, stop. I'm not getting thrown out because of you."

She pouted at me. Trey came up to wrap an arm around her and picked the grape she'd been going for.

"Fine. We'll take turns," he said popping the grape into her mouth.

Gritting his teeth, Adam gripped their shoulders to steer them away from the produce. I gave him a look of gratitude.

"Where are you staying anyway?" I asked as I went for the bread. I could bake fresh bread but not on short notice so I got a couple loaves just in case.

Trey and Cricket shared a glance before she flipped her hair and donned a fake smile. "Oh, you know. Here and there."

"What?! You don't have a place to stay?"

Sighing, she shrugged. "We kind of ran out of money. So we've been hanging out in this kid's treehouse. It's pretty cool and well built. Daddy did a good job. I'd even tell him so if he wasn't screwing the babysitter. I saw him texting her with my binoculars while he was in bed with his wife."

I gave her a look. "Seriously?"

"Mhm." She nodded enthusiastically.

I rolled my eyes. "Derek, could you look up nearby hotels?"

He nodded and went for his phone as Cricket yelled, "No!"

"Shh."

Lowering her voice to normal, she said, "No. I'm not taking your money. We're fine."

"Well, do you at least have food?"

This time they studiously wouldn't look at each other.

I growled. "Go get a bag of grapes."

"Ness-," she started.

"Now," I commanded.

Grumbling about bossy alpha females, she skipped over to the grapes and grabbed the fullest bag. After dropping them into the cart, she pouted. "With every grape I eat, I will feel immense guilt."

I rolled my eyes as I pushed the cart toward the meats. "Well, get over it because you're getting more than grapes. You'd better hope we can't find that treehouse after I tell Jacob. He'll drag you out and make you stay somewhere habitable."

She looked at me with mock-insult. "I beg your pardon, but that treehouse is fully furnished, thank you very much."

Pulling an Adam, I clenched my teeth. "And when was the last time you had a hot shower?"

"Today," she said sweetly, popping another grape into her mouth. "Mom's shampoo is a little too fruity, but shampoo is shampoo."

Screeching to a halt, I spun to face her. "You broke into their_ house_?" I hissed.

With wide eyes, she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "I didn't. Trey did."

Sighing, I slapped my hand over my face. "Just let me put you in a hotel."

"Nope. I refuse. You can pay for it all you want, but we won't be in it."

I looked to Trey. "And you agree with this?"

He shrugged, his arm snaking around her waist. "I go where she goes. And really it's not that bad, Ness. We do this all the time. We don't steal anything, just use the facilities."

I held up a hand. "Don't tell me anymore. You do realize that my grandfather is the police chief of Forks, don't you?"

Cricket brightened and clapped her hands. "Oh, good. We have an in with the police just in case. You can cover for us."

"Um, no," I said. "Come on. We have a lot more shopping to do."

Grinning, Cricket threw an arm around my shoulders and the other over Trey's. "You're the bestest."

"I'd better be," I murmured.

A few hours and three carts later, the three boys were rolling the carts out of the store. The snow was coming down steadily, and the pavement was slick under my sneakers. When we got to the truck, Cricket pulled a duffel bag out of the back. The bag was nearly empty before she started stuffing it with the food I'd just bought them. Getting into the back of the cab, I pulled out a stack of blankets and a space heater that we kept in there for emergencies.

"Here. Take these. It's going to get cold tonight."

"Ness-"

I pinned her with a stern glare. "Take them, Cricket. I'm already pissed off at you. It's the least you could do to make up for your stupidity."

For the second time, she was serious as she nodded and packed them away. "Thank you, Nessie."

Not being able to stand myself, I hugged her. "I wish you wouldn't be so stubborn."

"Nasty habit, I'm afraid." She pulled back to stare at me. "Please, be careful. You and Jake are the only people besides Trey that haven't treated me like a freak. If you die, I'll be pissed."

That made me laugh. "Do you need a ride to your treehouse?"

She shook her head. "I think we're good."

I looked around at the neighborhoods close to the store. "It's around here, isn't it?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "I don't want Jake dragging us out on our asses."

Trey took the duffel from her as she tried to sling it over her shoulder. "You do realize I'm the guy, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Chivalry is obnoxious."

"Well, forgive me for not wanting your back broken 'cause damn this thing is heavy."

Grinning up at him, she patted his cheek. "Quit your bitching, Mr. Man."

Derek laughed. "I like her."

We all looked at Adam who was trying not to smile. Eventually, he gave up. "Fine," he sighed. "I like her, too."

Cricket patted his arm. "Don't hurt yourself, dipstick."

He scowled at her. "Dipstick?"

She shrugged. "Kujo is taken, as is Pongo. Admittedly by her hubby." She pointed at me.

He smirked at her and then nodded to Trey. "If you're going to walk, you need to go. The weather's about to get really bad in the next half hour or so. I can smell it."

"Well if that's not a handy sniffer you got there," she said as she wrapped her arm through Trey's and cuddled close to him.

Laughing, we waved as they started off into the night.

"See you losers later," she called.

Adam's hand descended on my shoulder as I watched them sadly. "Come on, Ness. We gotta get going."

Sighing, Adam helped me up into the truck while Derek climbed behind the wheel.

**JPOV**

I was pacing the porch in the snow with bare feet when headlights turned onto the path that we'd had made for vehicles. Relief pounded through me when the truck stopped and Nessie jumped from the passenger seat. I was glad she hadn't been driving. The roads were frozen.

Her teeth started chattering as she made her way up the porch steps. Adam and Derek went for the back of the truck to start unloading.

Nessie turned to them halfway up the steps. "Guys, I can unload the truck. You've done enough. Go home. Enjoy some time off."

Derek shook his head. "Nope. This food is for the pack when we come over for pack meetings. Therefore, the people who help eat it will put it up."

She glowered at him as he passed us to go into the house. And then she saw my face. Stepping into me, she wrapped her arms around me.

I gripped her hard. "Where the hell have you been? When you weren't here for dinner, I tried to call you, but you didn't answer. Neither did Derek or Adam."

"Sorry," she said into my chest. At least her teeth had stopped dancing. "Cricket and Trey showed up."

"What?" I pulled back to look at her.

She nodded and chewed on her lip as she frowned. "Jake, they're staying in a treehouse with no money. I had to practically force food into the cart for them. And they wouldn't let me call a hotel. I gave them the space heater and the pile of blankets from the truck. And they took the food I bought because I made them."

"Fuck," I breathed. I did not like what I was hearing. Those two had been outcasts and now they were homeless outcasts on the coldest night we'd had for this season.

"That's not all," Nessie continued, stroking my chest.

My grip on her tightened. "What is it?"

"She had a vision. About me."

"What about you?" I growled.

She sighed. "Apparently, someone is supposed to attack me by the river in two days."

The wolf in me bristled, growled, hackles raising. The growl slipped between my teeth. "Who?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. All she could see was me."

"Then you stay away from the river, you hear me? You stay away from that fucking river."

With a sense of urgency, she stroked my chest and arms. "Baby, I will do my best, but-"

"But what?" I managed to grit out from between my teeth.

"Even you said that you believed her when she said that all of her visions happen. I promise I will do what I can to stay away. I want her to be wrong as much as you do."

"I'll stay with you."

"Okay, baby. It'll be ok, Jacob. We get through everything so we'll get through this. She didn't say the attacker would kill me."

"But she did say the attacker would have a knife or something like it," Derek piped in.

Nessie glared at him as a vicious snarl ricocheted out of my chest. "Thanks, Derek."

He gave her an "oops" kind of look. "My bad."

"That's it. You're going down to the rez tomorrow and staying down there."

"Jacob-,"

"No, Ness," I growled.

"Jacob!" she demanded sternly. "I am not stopping my life every time there's a threat. Sure, I'd prefer nothing happen to me. And I'm not opposed to you following me around, but you will not toss me around. Take your precautions, that's fine. But I will not be ordered to stay like I'm a well trained animal." Taking a deep breath, she calmed down. "Let me take what comes at me and deal with it. I've been sheltered all my life. But I can't afford that luxury anymore. There are two huge packs on our land. If there's any time that an alpha female is needed, it's now."

Studying her determination that was set in the way her chin was tilted and her eyebrows raised, I couldn't help but agree with her even if the protective male in me wanted to force her into a locked-from-the-outside room for the next two days.

Beating the wolf back, I sighed and drew her into my arms. "I'm sorry, Ness. I just can't handle anything else happening to you."

She stroked her hands up my back. "Well, look at it this way. Cricket said we'd make it to kids. I'm not pregnant right now, so apparently, I will survive this attack, whatever it is."

"Yeah, that's kind of not good enough for me anymore."

I just held her, warming her as we stood in the snow. Technically, the snow melted around us because of my body heat, so it was almost as if we were standing under some invisible barrier. Derek and Adam taken off into the woods after completing their task. The night was quiet from the animals hunkering down with the weather. And the snow made so sound as it fell and stuck.

"Come on," she said softly. "Let's go inside. I'll make you something to eat. You must be starving."

I rubbed her arms and looked down into her eyes. "I'm good. I was just worried about you. I don't like not knowing where you are."

Her expression melted. "I know, and I'm sorry. I'll check my phone more often."

Cupping her cheek, I brushed away the few snowflakes that managed to nestle in her eyelashes with my thumb. The kiss we shared was so soft that it was more of a whisper.

"Thank you."

My stomach chose that moment to commit mutiny. Nessie laughed softly and patted my abs.

"Let's get you fed. Can't have you getting skinny on me."

I laughed, draping my arm over her shoulders. She gripped my wrist with one hand and wrapped her other arm around my waist.

"Heaven forbid," I conceded as we walked into the house.

Derek and Adam had indeed put up all the food in the right places.

"What are you gonna make?" I asked as I sat down at the table. She'd ducked out from under my arm to take off her gloves and coat, leaving the hat on, to rummage through the fridge.

She shrugged, rolling up her sleeves to cut open a package of chicken. "The Italian chicken and mashed potatoes you like. Is that ok?"

My stomach practically roared in answer. She giggled.

"I will take that as a 'that sounds amazing'."

Chuckling, I leaned my elbow on the table and sat my chin in my palm. Watching her move around the kitchen, humming to herself, I thanked the universe for putting me through hell only to make me stronger for her.

**TriciaPOV**

Movie nights were generally what their name suggested. However, that hadn't been the case tonight. After Embry gave me the short tour of the house, he'd popped in some random action movie that had to do with cars and racing. I rarely watched movies and tv, so I didn't know what it was. It had looked interesting, and at first, I'd tried to get into it, cuddling up next to Embry and sipping on hot chocolate.

But Embry was too close, his scent and strength enveloping me. The heat was low in the house because he didn't get cold, so I'd cuddled into his side. Paying attention to the movie became an item that was no longer on my to-do list. Embry had started playing with my hair, and the way he did it didn't make me sleepy in the least. Instead, it piqued the heat inside me that was steadily building for this man.

Reaching up, I'd laced my fingers through his where they were buried in my hair and pulled him sideways into me so that I could kiss the corner of his mouth. He pulled back just enough to study me. Apparently, he liked what he saw because he pressed his lips back to mine in a full-on kiss.

Moving around, I straddled his legs, never breaking the kiss and cupped his face in my hands. His fingers gripped my thighs before he pulled back, breathing hard, to give me a look I knew well.

"No," I said sternly. "Don't you dare bring age into this, Embry."

He sighed. "Tricia, you're seventeen."

"Almost eighteen. And before we carry on, how old is Ness again?" I didn't wait for the answer because he'd told me the story. "Oh, right._ Ten_ with the mentality and physical progression of eighteen! The same as me, Embry."

Almost as if he couldn't help himself, he moved his hands to grip my hips, but not to move me off of him. But he sighed again. "It would be better to wait until you're eighteen and legal."

I cocked an eyebrow. "To make out? Seriously?"

He swallowed hard.

I stroked my thumbs over his strong cheekbones and softened my tone. "Embry, I'm not ready for sex even though you are fine as hell, and I do want you. I just want a moment, to get just a little lost. We kiss twice and you flip out. Heaven forbid I should try to use my tongue because I'm twelve," I finished sarcastically.

"Tricia-" he started tiredly.

Sighing, I accepted defeat and pulled away from him. He put his hand on my arm and as I pulled away, his fingers slipped over my skin.

"Trish,-"

"I get it, Embry. Really, I do. And I guess you're right, even though my brother had sex with Christa and he's only eighteen."

He scrubbed his hands over his face. "So this _is_ about sex."

"Maybe," I said with a flush as I moved into the kitchen.

The one appliance he had that I was in love with was the Keurig machine. And the hot chocolate to go with it. I'd had three cups already. It was just too perfect with the snow and the cuddling.

"But not, like, all the way," I continued. "Just...almost all the way." When he didn't answer, I knew I'd gone too far. Now_ I_ was the one pushing_ him_, the opposite of what my dad had feared. Shame flooded through me. Bracing my arms on the counter, I hung my head."I'm sorry. You're right."

After the machine spit out its last drops of water, I took the mug, stirring my hot chocolate. A moment later, his arms wrapped around my waist and he rested his chin on the top of my head.

"I love that you want me. You don't even know how much that makes my blood boil. I want you, too. More than you think, more than I show. But that's because I really don't wanna get in trouble. And I want to do right by you, ok?"

Setting my mug back down and sliding it over, I turned and hefted myself up onto the counter. He rested his hands on my hips once more as I twined my arms around his shoulders.

"What makes you think I can't do right by myself? Why does everyone want to tell me how to live my life?" I shook him a little with a laugh that had nothing to do with humor.

He opened his mouth to reply, no doubt to tell me that's not what he was doing. But apparently, he realized that that was indeed what he was doing. Nobody could call foul except me. My parents couldn't claim he raped me without my backing it up, and I would never do that. I wanted to start my life. From the time I'd been old enough to learn, Mom and Dad had taught me and Walker to think for ourselves, to be independent. Well, here we were, and they needed to deal with their babies leaving the nest at young ages.

Sighing, I looked out the window to my right to watch the snow fall, but all the while, I felt his searing gaze studying me, burrowing under my skin. I tried really hard not to squirm under that examination.

I was about to get twitchy when he said, "You're right."

My head swung around so fast that everything blurred. "What?"

He shrugged. "You're right."

"Say it again."

He frowned at me, but when I grinned, he caught on. He leaned into me. "You." Kiss. "Are." Kiss. "Right." Kiss.

Digging my nails into his scalp, I murmured, "Mmm, I like it when you say that," against his lips.

He chuckled darkly, his hands moving around my hips to dig into my back pockets. Surprise covered my expression as my gut clenched with lust. He'd never purposely touched me like that before, always being a gentleman to keep his hands in safe places. When he gripped my bottom, I sighed against his mouth and spread my legs for him to move between. He took the invitation and growled against my throat where he'd moved his mouth. My nails scraped his scalp and pulled his hair as his tongue snaked out for a taste of my skin.

When he growled again, I forced his mouth back up to mine. I needed to have my own taste of him. We hadn't kissed open-mouthed since that night Walker had caught us in my room and he'd taken off.

There was no hesitation as our mouths meshed together, fighting for dominance. And the taste of him was exotically intoxicating. I moaned into his mouth as his tongue slid against mine.

Raw maleness emanated from him, his hands pulling me to the edge of the counter and against his body. The moment the center of me rubbed against his belt buckle, even through my jeans, a tingle raced through my body followed quickly by liquid flames licking at my lower stomach.

I gasped in surprise, and he pulled back, breathing hard but looking concerned.

"Are you ok?"

Swallowing hard, I nodded. "Yeah." My voice was breathy and deep. I didn't recognize it as mine at all.

As my heart rate slowed, so did the heat and the tingling. I rested my forehead against his chest and closed my eyes to relearn how to breathe. Inhaling his comforting scent helped. His big hands stroked up my back and hair, fingers pulling through the tangles.

"I should get home," I barely managed to whisper through the huskiness.

I could feel Embry shake his head. "It's too late. The weather is about to get much worse. We wouldn't make it."

I stopped questioning his weather-predicting abilities a couple weeks ago.

Giving him a look, I shook my head. "My parents are not going to let me spend the night with you."

His jaw set stubbornly. "They can get over it. I won't jeopardize your safety. And you can sleep in the extra bedroom."

What I recognized as panic fluttered through me. Though we hadn't made out or had sex yet, he'd slept in my bed with me every night since that first night I'd told him to without my parents' knowledge. Nothing was going to change tonight.

I shook my head vehemently. "No. If I stay, I'm staying with you."

"Tricia-,"

"Embry," I said as a demand. "I won't be able to sleep without you. And don't tell me that you'd sleep just fine. I know you wouldn't. You paced outside my window for hours trying to stay away from me before you slipped through my window."

He gave me a look, brows pulling low. "How do you know about that?"

"Because I was awake, genius. I didn't actually sleep until you were in the bed with me. I just acted like I was asleep."

Expecting embarrassment, what I got was a big grin. "You little sneak."

I lifted my chin. "I'm good at pretending to be asleep. With my parents, I have to be."

Before he could answer, my phone rang with my mom's ringtone. I groaned, digging the phone out of my pocket, knowing this was about to be a fight because Embry wasn't going to let me leave.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hey, sweetie."

"What's up?"

I got the shock of my life when she said, "Listen, why don't you stay down with Embry. This is starting to turn into a blizzard. Your father and I don't want you walking in this, or driving if he owns a vehicle."

Taking the phone away from my ear to stare at it as if I didn't believe what had just come out of the earpiece in my mother's voice, my mind buzzed and heart leapt.

"Tricia? Are you there? Did I lose you?"

Chuckling Embry took the phone from me. "Hello, Mrs. Johnson...Mhm, of course I don't mind…Absolutely. I completely agree...Yes. The house is completely stocked. And I have a couple generators just in case. She'll be perfectly safe." He glanced at me with a grin. "Yeah, I just think you shocked her...Oh, ok. Well, I'll let her know...Sure. Goodnight, Mrs. Johnson…Er, June."

He looked vaguely uncomfortable calling my mom by her name as he hung up, setting my phone on the counter.

"So, what'd she say?"

"Well, she wants you to stay here with me tonight. But also that her friend had the baby."

Joy flooded me. My mom's old high school friend had been trying to have a baby for a while now. And now the waiting was over.

"Did she say if it was a boy or girl?" I asked excitedly.

He shook his head, smirking at me. "No, but she also said that she and your dad are leaving to visit tomorrow if you want to go. If not, she said you could stay here with me for the weekend."

Well, if that wasn't the toughest decision of my life. There was a look in his eyes, a hope that I'd choose to stay with him. But there was also a kind of...praise for my excitement, as if he wanted me to go if I wanted.

My heart melted, and he must have seen the expression because he cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

"You should go," he said.

I frowned. "What?"

"Go with your mom and dad. You're excited. I'll be here when you get back."

"Yeah, but...you're more important."

Now,_ he_ melted, his palm cupping my cheek. "You having a life is important."

Serious eye contact, deep breath. "You're my life now."

"Tricia,-" He started again. That happened a lot. He tried to hold back the smile and sound chastising at the same time. It didn't work.

"No. Listen. This...thing between us isn't just some hormonal, desperation type of deal. This is real. Yes, I'm aware that I'm young, but I'm not stupid. I don't know how you feel because you haven't talked about it since you told me about imprinting, and I'm guessing that's from your whole 'do right' by me stuff. And no, I'm not asking you tell me something you aren't willing to tell me. My feelings, however, I am more than happy to share. You have feelings for me, strong ones. I know that. You even used the L-word once, but declarations aren't what I'm after, Embry." I stroked his chest. "Don't get me wrong, I love that you wanted to sacrifice the fact that my parents are actually willing to let me stay with you so that I could go visit my mom's friend. But honestly, she's _Mom's_ friend, not mine. I'd be bored stupid. I'd much rather be here, building something with you. Am I making any sense or just babbling now?"

Reaching up, he brushed my hair out of my eyes and smirked. "Babbling, but still making sense. I just don't want you to think that I have to be the center of your life. Remember, you have choices."

I squeezed his biceps. "I do remember that. And I am making them as I see fit. I'm staying with you...unless you don't want me to."

He growled at that. "Don't ever think I don't want you with me." And then he smirked. "All the time." Bending down he nibbled my neck. "Every day." Again, that sinful tongue came out. "Every minute." He traced a line up, up, up to plant a soft kiss just under my ear. "Every second."

A shaky breath left me on a sigh. "It's settled then."

Around us, the house died as the power went out. We pulled back to look around at the dark house, the movie cutting off suddenly. Silence wrapped around us, so quiet that my ears thrummed, straining to hear anything.

"Well," Embry said, "I guess that's a sign."

"A sign?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"That we should probably go to bed. There's nothing else to do."

"Oh. What about the generator?"

He shrugged. "I'll run it in the morning."

"What about the heat?"

Chuckling, his arms fully enveloped me, pulling us breasts to muscled chest. "You're sleeping in my bed, right?"

I nodded, a flush creeping up my neck to spread across my cheeks.

"Then you won't need the heat on. Not with me around."

It took me a moment to understand his meaning, and the moment I did, my mind sent the message to my body that we could feel the heat pouring from him. He'd once told me that Carlisle had clocked the wolves temps at a toasty one-oh-eight. As the house quickly cooled down around us, I could feel the heat emanate from him in waves.

He tugged on my waist to get me off the counter. "Come on. I'm beat. It's been a long day."

After helping me off the counter, he took me hand and led me to his room. It was sparsely decorated with a king-sized bed that had a dark green comforter, a dresser in the corner, and a nightstand with a simple lamp on top. The closet was small from what I could see of it. Embry disappeared inside for only a moment before reappearing with a t-shirt and sweats, and handed them to me.

"Here. They'll be huge on you, but that's all I've got. I don't have any sisters, and the pack females don't come and go here. And I normally only wear boxers but if you want me to put something else on…"

I looked at the floor so he wouldn't see the lust in my eyes. "No, that's ok. Don't change your routine on account of me."

"You sure?"

I nodded as I backed up for the bathroom. He grinned at me before I closed the door.

A few minutes later, I was draped in his tent of a shirt, the thing hanging to well past my knees. And there was no way to wear the sweats. Even with the tie and elastic, and no matter how many times I rolled them, they still just fell off to pool at my ankles. Shrugging, I picked them up, folded them, and thought to myself that the shirt was going to have to do. I'd taken off my bra but left my undershirt and panties.

Going back into the room, Embry was sitting on the side of the bed in his aforementioned boxers and was messing with the alarm clock. I took a moment to study him and the room. Boy, this place needed a feminine touch, as did the man who owned it. A pang of sadness hit my heart as I thought about the fact that his mother had just abandoned him just as his father had before he'd been born. Looking back, through his smiles and jokes, I could now see the sadness in his eyes.

Well, dammit! That was going to change. I'd give him the happiness he deserved, the life he should have, and chase that sadness away. He was so alone, even with the pack. They all had their families and close friends and mates, but Embry was separated from them from what his father had done. And Sam! Sam was his brother. Why hadn't Embry told him? He could have those family ties if only he'd reach out instead of watching from a distance. His stubbornness had subsided a bit when he'd agreed with me that maybe he should tell Sam. Well, I'd get him to. I'd wear him down until he did it. Tonight had been the first step.

Determination settling in my gut, I walked to the bed and threw the sweats beside him. At first, he glanced at them...and then did a double-take. Spinning around, he stared at me, eyes roaming my body, lingering in all the right places. My body reacted, tightening and clenching.

He swallowed hard as heat flooded his eyes. He was so close to not caring that I was seventeen(almost eighteen).

With as much nonchalance as I could muster, I walked to the bed, threw the covers back and climbed in. The shirt rode up enough to give him a glimpse of thigh. A shaky breath left him.

"The sweats didn't fit. No matter how much I rolled them or tied them, they just kept falling off."

Another hard swallow. "Then I guess nothing else would fit you."

I shook my head. "Probably not. I'm a lot smaller than you are." Which I loved. His male essence made me feel completely safe whenever I was with him. Before that first night that he'd slept in my room with me, I really never slept through the night without the help of medicine. Nightmares of the parents who had given me up had plagued me for years before Mom and Dad had told me that I was adopted. With Embry wrapped around me, I had slept, and rested, throughout the entire night. His warmth had heated more than my skin. It had seeped past my physical self to hit my heart and soul. Though I knew that my adoptive parents loved me, it still hurt to know that the woman who'd given birth to me had just left me in the hospital.

I knew the story of how Mom and Dad had adopted me. They'd been at that same hospital because they'd been trying to have another baby and had found out that they'd just had a miscarriage. When Mom, distraught over the loss, had heard that a newborn baby girl had been abandoned by her parents, she'd offered to start the adoption process after talking with her husband.

I was their miracle baby, and I'd gotten so lucky with them. And Walker. I couldn't have asked for a better family. But I still often thought of the parents who'd abandoned me, hadn't even named me before taking off. What had been so wrong with me? Or had they just been a couple of teenagers not ready for a baby? Was leaving me there out of kindness or cruelty? Or perhaps the woman had been single and couldn't support a child. For years, I'd wondered. And wished to one day find them, or her, and ask.

"Hey." Embry's warm arms wrapped around my waist as he scooted closer to me. He'd gotten under the covers as well. When I looked at him in startlement, he said, "Are you ok? You kinda just zoned out. And your lips gonna start bleeding if you keep worrying at it."

And because he'd said that, the sharp sting flooded my mouth. "Ow," I muttered. He chuckled beside me. "But yeah, I'm ok. I was just thinking."

"About what?" His breath was warm on my neck as he brushed my hair back over my shoulder.

Smiling, I said, "About how much you help me."

Surprise colored his features. "I do?"

I nodded and debated on telling him. But in order for there to be honesty between us, I had to be honest to myself. And_ honestly,_ I wanted him to know me, to trust me. Holding things back was the same as lying in my opinion.

Slowly, I stroked my nails up the forearm was wrapped over my stomach. His breath was shaky on my shoulder and neck.

Taking a deep shaky breath of my own, I said, "When Mom and Dad told me I was adopted, they told me the story. My birth mother had just given birth to me the day before Walker's mom and dad had gone into the hospital...for personal reasons. The woman didn't even name me before she left AMA. She'd left just hours after my birth. And I never knew if my biological dad was with her or not. They gave no reasons for leaving. Or none that I was told. When Walker's parents were told about a baby girl being abandoned, they'd took one look at me and told them to start the adoption process. The social worker had had to pull a lot of strings because of 'the list', but they made it happen."

Strong arms squeezed me. "That's great," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder. The shirt was so big and stretched that one of my shoulders was bare because of his tugging on that side. "But that doesn't explain how I help you."

Bringing up a hand, I stroked his face. "You scare the cold away." He gave me questioning eyes. "For years, I've had nightmares, unable to sleep. But with you? That all goes away. I feel rested and warm, when for so long I was cold. I was abandoned. And then you came into my life, stood up to my brother and my dad just to be next to me. That means more than you can ever imagine."

For several heartbeats, he just stared at me, eyes studying my eyes and lips. And then he rushed forward, pressing his lips to mine hungrily. Nothing hesitant or worried. He just kissed me with all the passion that was in his eyes. And I returned it, wrapping my arms over his broad shoulders, pulling him closer to me. That warmth sank through the shirt to sear my skin erotically.

Leaning back, I fell to the mattress. Expecting him to freeze, I got another shock of my life when he just gripped my hips and moved on top of me, his weight heavy but welcome, comforting. Since there were only thin layers between us, I could feel his rock hard erection pressing into my lower belly, just over the core of me. There was none of the panic that I'd expected from this moment finally happening. Just pure rightness.

Moving to rest his elbows over my shoulders on the pillow, he stopped kissing me to look down at me. His eyes were heavily dilated, breath coming in pants.

"I love you. I will always fight for you. I'd fight God above and Satan below to get back to you. Don't you ever doubt that."

And that's the moment I truly fell in love with him, completely, irrevocably. My heart practically burst with joy at the realization. Though I hadn't fought the lust, I'd fought the feelings. I'd had to build a wall to protect myself after hearing the story of my birth and adoption. Embry had bulldozed those walls, just plowed right through with his gentle touches and caring eyes. The rest and safety he presented when wrapping his body protectively around mine.

Tears made the room shimmery and wavy. Blinking, they fell down toward my temples. "I love you, too," I whispered. "So much."

His eyes widened, breathing hitched, thumbs stroking my temples to wipe the tears. "Say it again," he whispered, copying my earlier words.

"I love you," I whispered back, stroking the warm skin of his shoulders and neck.

Suddenly, gripping my hips once more, he rolled us so that I was on top, straddling his waist. The hard length of him pressed into me, the heat moving through his boxers and my panties to sink into the core of me. If it was this hot with barriers between us, I could only imagine how searing it would be with nothing but skin rubbing together. The thought sent a shudder through me.

Staring up at me, he laced our fingers together and pulled me down on top of him.

"Thank you," he whispered against my lips.

"For what?"

"Staying with me. I've never had anybody that would do that for me. And you give me a bigger reason to fight. I've never felt so protective or fierce in my life, but I know that I would do anything, _anything,_ to protect you. Even what Walker and Jacob did."

I frowned, sitting back up off his chest. "What do you mean? What did they do?"

His gaze became wary but he said, "We needed to know where Tristan was and the only way to do that was to...question a prisoner."

My breath hitched. "You mean torture."

In answer, he just stared at me.

Somehow, I didn't feel as terrified as I thought I should. Instead, a kind of...calm settled over me. The wolves were in the middle of a war. Some things were just necessary to survive.

"So my brother and your pack leader tortured a man for information." Said as a statement, a fact. Not a question.

Embry nodded.

"He was evil?"

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt. He raped and killed women."

"Good," was my immediate response.

Embry's eyebrows met his hairline. "What?"

"Good that he was tortured. How many women?"

"Fourteen that we know of."

"Is he dead?" My tone was devoid of emotion, the cold seeping back into my skin. I couldn't stand a man that hurt a woman. Pissed me off every time.

Embry nodded. "Jacob ripped his heart out."

I lifted a shoulder in a partial shrug. "Good. I hope it hurt."

Shaking his fingers out of mine, he gripped my hips. "So, you're ok with that?"

"I don't think women should have to fear men. And he was a werewolf, which meant those women had no chance to fight back. I'm glad their deaths were avenged as well as the other crimes that happened to them. The world is strangled by laws, allowing criminals to walk."

"So you want to go back to caveman style?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

I chuckled. "Something like that. I think that people should be able to get their own justice, to be able to avenge their loved ones without having to wait for the justice system to take years upon years to do it for them. And even then, it's not a sure thing. Like, if anything happened to you, I'd want to be the one to kill the monster that did it. I'd want to look into their eyes so they know why they're dying, whose heart they broke, as I watch the life leave their eyes."

After that vehement proclamation, I expected to feel him pull away from me, for him to think that his imprint was a mistake, but he didn't. Instead, if anything, that wide length between my legs got harder, hotter against me. His eyes darkened.

"You are the most incredible woman I've ever met," he growled, voice crawling down to a low bass. He pulled me down against his chest once more, our lips meeting again. "You're_ my_ incredible woman."

The word "woman" pulsed through me. Yes, I was a woman. I was his woman. Always.

Moaning, I undulated against him. His hips thrust up, pushing himself harder against me. He groaned and rolled us once more so that his weight settled on me once more. His hands anchored mine above my head as his body moved over mine.

And then all too soon, he pulled back, his forehead against mine. Panting, he licked his lips. "We have to stop."

I groaned. Not out of pleasure but out of frustration. "Why?" I growled even though I was just human.

He chuckled breathlessly. "Because if I take you tonight, the wolf in me won't let you leave every night to go back to your parents house. And right now, they need you more than I do."

Even as my irritation boiled, my love for him deepend. "Are you ever selfish?"

Growling, he captured my lips again, teeth pulling on my bottom lip. "When the time is right, I'll show you just how selfish I can be."

My lower stomach clenched with need. "Can't wait."

One last deep, thrusting kiss, he rolled off me onto his back but kept hold of my waist to pull me with him. I landed on his warm chest. He'd been right. I didn't need a heater.

It was exciting to know that he didn't want me to leave, that he was already forcing himself to let me go when he had to leave my side. It was everything I'd ever needed to hear from someone.

His fingers traced my spine. "I want you with me, Tricia. I want you to live here with me, and for this to be our mated bed. But first, we need to survive until you're eighteen."

Digging my nails into his chest, I lifted my head just enough to look at him with a stern glare. "We aren't waiting one day past my birthday. Not even a second of the next day."

Chuckling, he leaned down to kiss the tip of my nose. "Don't you celebrate birthdays at your house?"

Grudgingly, I nodded. "Yeah, but that night, you're mine."

A low rumble thrummed through his chest. "When's your birthday?"

"Next week."

That eyebrow cocked again. "Like, Thanksgiving next week?"

"The day before."

This time the laugh was full-throated and deep. He didn't laugh enough. It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard and it tugged at something deep inside me.

"Well, that'll give us an excuse to get out of bed then."

My growl was pitiful next to his, but I did it anyway. "What do you mean?"

His thumb stroked my shoulder. "The next day is Thanksgiving. We have family to visit. We can't just stay in bed all day...even though I would probably love to."

A thought occurred to me even though I didn't like what he was saying. I'd happily skip a holiday to have us making love all day.

I stroked my fingers down his chest, tripping and tracing over his nipples. "Fine," I said huskily. "If you're going to make me get out of bed after what's sure to be the best night of my life, then you have to tell Sam that he's your brother. Before the holiday."

He pulled back to stare at me. "Are you negotiating with me?"

"Compromising. Come on, Embry. That would be a wonderful joy to have at the holidays. And little Leila, your_ niece._ 'Cause let me tell ya, visiting my family with you, Walker, and Christa is going to be tense and interesting. Wouldn't you like to have something lovely to go to after? Something that will lift you, make you happy? Your family?"

Embry deserved a family, but more than that, the pack, Sam, deserved the truth. It would help Embry to let go of it, to let himself be happy. His eyes moved up to stare at the ceiling while he traced designs on my back, fingers playing with the hem of the shirt that had ridden up to my waist. Eventually, he got brave enough to run those hot fingers over the skin of my lower back that was between the hem of the shirt and my panties. That small touch had me shivering, heat spreading out like ripples from a pond.

Through the silence, my eyes started to get blurry, lids heavy. The snow was still falling. I could see just a line of it through the space in the curtains across the way. The frazzled white flecks were mesmerizing as they swirled around in the wind.

"Ok," he said finally in a soft voice. All hint of growl was gone.

"Hmmm?" I muttered sleepily.

Soft lips pressed to my forehead. "I'll talk to Sam and the pack."

Cuddling closer to him, I smiled. "Mmm, good man. Love you."

This time the sigh was content. "Love you, too, woman."

No sweeter words had yet to be said.

**ShelbyPOV**

The next morning, Brayden woke up with a wail. Which was weird. That kid had been sleeping through the night through the morning for a few nights now. Next to the bed, the lamp flickered to life. Either Seth was restarting the generator or the power had come back on.

Yawning, I slipped out of bed. There were blankets draped over it that hadn't been there last night. And the fire in our fireplace was roaring merrily like it hadn't just spent the night flooding the room with warmth, as if it never tired out and died down to embers. Frowning, I shook my head. Probably Seth.

Brayden's crib was in the closet turned nursery. We'd moved Seth's stuff from his closet to mine. Seth had done some changes to the empty space to create the nursery. He was now working on one of the upstairs rooms for when Brayden got older. I loved that man.

"Hey, baby boy," I cooed as I reached over the side of the crib to lift him up. Immediately, I knew why he'd screamed. He needed to be changed. With my heightened senses, my nose stung and tingled.

Moving over to the changing table, I stripped him out of his night clothes and out of the diaper. My eyes watered as I threw it in the trash. That would definitely need to be taken out. Grinning and giggling, he thrashed around. It was a struggle to get him cleaned up, but I managed. After snapping everything in place making my own faces and giggles to him, I went to the rocking chair to feed him. At home, I didn't need a blanket. He didn't like being covered up when he fed anyway.

A moment after he latched on, his father walked through the door and stopped like he hit a wall while his face scrunched up.

"Geez, that boy is rank."

I laughed. "He's _your_ son."

His face softened like it did every time someone said that to him, like he couldn't believe he had a son, that he was a father. Coming over to me, he kissed my forehead and stroked two fingers over our son's head before going to the trash can.

"Let me just get that out of the house before the smell seeps into the walls."

"Thanks, baby," I said with a giggle.

Quickly, he ran the bag out to the trash can outside the house.

When he came back, he gave Brayden a look. Brayden met his eyes over my breast. If he wasn't a baby, I'd say that look was full of amusement at his father's expense.

"That's gonna keep all the animals away from the house until trash day gets here if it doesn't kill them first," Seth said with a chuckle.

I couldn't help but stare at him, my heart filling with love. He was the best man in my life, other than my son. Tall, dark, and handsome was frequent what with all the Quileutes but there was just something about Seth. I loved him soul-deep. Our son looked just like him except for his eyes. Those were mine. And I couldn't be happier about that. My blood was tainted from my mother, and I really didn't want any of that to show in my child. My mother was a selfish bitch who'd abandoned me. But Brayden looked like a mini version of his father, a man who had never once thought to leave me. A man who'd always been there for me, who'd fought for me. I prayed the boy in my arms grew up to be just like his daddy.

"You need anything?" Seth asked softly as he caught me staring at him, smiling gently as if he knew what I was thinking. He probably did.

Shaking my head, I grinned. "Nah, he'll be done soon and then I can make breakfast. Is the power back on or is that the generator?"

"Generator. There's about three feet of snow out there. It's gonna take some time for them to fix it. Took me an hour just to get to the gas station. And I got the fires back up in the fireplaces."

I gave him a smile, knowing he must have been awake for a few hours already and it was eight in the morning. "I love you, Seth. You're so good to us."

"For all intents and purposes, you're my wife. And I'm a father. I could never let anything happen to either of you. With that being said, waking up cold is unacceptable to me. I woke up when the generator finally cut out early this morning."

Angling my face for a kiss, I said, "Well, then you're my hero. And a hero deserves a kiss."

Chuckling, he bent over me to press his lips to mine. "I'm no hero, but I don't mind being your man."

"Good. I don't either."

Brayden finally let go of me with a giggle. Seth and I broke apart to look down at him as I pulled my robe back in place.

"Aww," Seth said softly, and I knew it wasn't because our son was adorable.

Laughing darkly, I pushed him back with one hand and then reached for a burping towel, rearranged Brayden, and stood up, patting him on the back.

"I can take him if you wanna go fix breakfast," Seth offered, holding out his hands.

"You sure?"

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I can burp my own son, Shelbs. I've been belching for years."

Laughing, I transferred Brayden to his arms and then settled the towel on his shoulder. Going up on my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek. "Love you, baby daddy."

He chuckled and kissed me. "Love you, too, baby mamma."

Brayden gurgled at me, fist in his mouth. Going back up, I kissed his nose. "Love you, baby boy," I whispered as his little face scrunched up in the cutest way. He gurgled again as I went for the stairs.

Seth followed me up and into the kitchen where he sat down at the bar that we had separating the kitchen from the living room. I got all the stuff to make pancakes and bacon.

"So, it's my day off patrols. What do you wanna do today?" Seth asked as Brayden made that classic noise that everybody makes with they either get a massage or drive over multiple bumps at once.

Smiling, I shrugged. "We could introduce Brayden to snow, and then go see my dad. I know he's jonesing to see us. Or rather his grandson."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth nod. "Sounds good. We also need to make plans to see my mom and Charlie. She's probably about to wring my neck."

"Their places are close enough together. Maybe we could get both visits in."

"Absolu-gross. That's disgusting, son. We're going to have to teach you to aim better."

Laughing, I knew what he meant. Brayden had probably just missed the towel altogether as he spit up. Never failed. Potty training was gonna be a blast when the time came.

Sighing, Seth got up. "Be right back. We both need to be changed."

Two hours later, Brayden was all bundled up, nose pink as we walked through the snow. Seth and I were wearing jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts. Only difference was that I was wearing a jacket and the diaper bag. Even with being a werewolf, my body temp wasn't as high as Seth's. Caden guessed that was because Brayden needed to get used to the heat before being able to handle it all the time. Since I held him more because of the breastfeeding, that meant my body heat stayed low enough for him. Right now, Seth was carrying him, making sure he stayed warm. Brayden didn't like the carrier. He'd grown too much, looking more like a seven week old baby than a four week old. I'd compared pictures online so that I could keep up with his growth. It wasn't so fast that I was going to panic. I just wanted to stay tuned to his health.

He gurgled and giggled all the way down, but burrowed into Seth's chest and neck. Motherhood was making me sappy, my heart melting every time he did something remotely cute. My two boys were my everything, my king and my prince. Brayden's new-to-the-world eyes took in everything. Snow was still drifting down. Every time it landed on Seth's skin, he would slap at it, but it always melted before he could. His little hat was shaped kind of like pigtails, a corner on each side with a little pom-poms on the ends. He leaned back to stare up at the sky. Blinking rapidly at the snow that fell into his eyelashes, he sneezed when flakes fell and tickled his nose.

Seth chuckled, and Brayden grinned at him. He liked when daddy smiled or laughed or talked. He also liked to press his face into Seth's chest to hear and feel the rumble. Every time Seth would stop talking or laughing, Brayden would frown and hit Seth with a tiny fist until he started up again. For a four week old, he knew what he wanted. Every day he saw and focused on different things, stared at them for what seemed like forever. Like Leila, he was quick to learn and recognize those around him.

Carlisle thought it had something to do with the wolf genes. He'd done some digging into the pack's school records for comparisons. Apparently, all the wolves had had high scores on the important tests like the ACT. Any wolf that had taken an IQ test had also scored high.

When we reached the Cullen house, two wolves slunk through the snow to walk with us. Patrick and Alana. They walked with us into town and to my father's doorstep. There was an unfamiliar car in the drive.

"Thanks, Alana," I said as I scratched behind her ears. She closed her eyes and rumbled in her chest. Brayden giggled.

Seth knocked on the door as Alana sat on the front porch and Patrick went around back to keep watch. A moment later, the door opened.

Dad's grin almost broke his face. "Hey, guys! Come on in! Now, there's my grandson." Brayden was transferred with a grin.

"Hey, Dad. Seth had the day off from...work, so we thought we'd stop in."

He grinned over at me. "It's great to see you guys." He hugged me one-armed, and then shook Seth's hand. "But really, what are you feeding him? He's huge."

We laughed. "It's the genes, dad. But he does feed a lot, come to think of it. Probably has more to do with Seth's side. The man can eat like a black hole."

"Hey!" Seth exclaimed as he took my jacket and hung it up next to the door.

Dad chuckled. "Well, it's good to see you. Come in, come in. There's someone I want you to meet."

Seth and I shared a look as he darted into the kitchen. When he came back, he was leading a woman by the hand. She was smiling sheepishly, almost shy. She was pretty with chocolate brown hair that was delicately streaked with grey. Her eyes were a pretty dark blue over a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheekbones.

But the way Dad stared at her let me know that she was something special.

"Shelby, Seth, this is Audrey. Audrey, this is my daughter, Shelby, and her...husband, Seth."

I gave Dad a grateful look. He knew how I felt about Seth. And then I smiled at Audrey, holding out my hand to her.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you, Audrey."

Her smile was bright, but still delicate. "You, too. Greg has told me so much about you. And your son is just gorgeous."

"Thank you. I'm just happy he looks like his father."

"Ain't that the truth," Dad muttered.

"Greg," she scolded.

I laughed. "Oh, no, trust me. I look too much like my mom for me to want that passed down the line. And we don't like my mother."

She looked taken aback, opening and closing her mouth. "Oh," she finally muttered.

"Shelbs, we were just making out a Thanksgiving plan. It won't be much since it's just the two of us, but-"

"What are you talking about?" Seth demanded. "You can join us for Thanksgiving. We always have a big to-do with the Cullens. Ness and Jacob are hosting it this year. And you can meet the family." He looked at Audrey. "Our family is kind of huge so it's hard to do the whole visiting multiple places thing. We all gather at one place."

"Oh, that's nice. But I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Don't be silly," I said gently. Then I looked at Dad meaningfully.

He shrugged as if leaving it up to me.

Seth and I shared a look.

"Audrey, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Taking a deep breath, I took a leap of faith. "Do you believe in the supernatural?"

She frowned. "You mean like your father does?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, exactly like that."

"Well, I-I…"

She didn't get a chance to finish. The doorbell rang. Apparently, Alana didn't consider whoever it was a threat. And then I saw movement out of the corner of my eye out the window. Alana. I frowned. The only reason she'd leave her post was if the person didn't know about the wolves. Human.

Dad handed Brayden over to Seth and, frowning, went to open the door. Apparently, he wasn't expecting anyone else. I went with him just in case. Though I hadn't shifted yet, I was still stronger than a human.

Dad got to the door before I did, so I couldn't see around him who it was.

All I heard was a rough intake of breath and, "Bethany."

The blood drained from my face.

"Hello, Greg," a haughty voice answered.

In stunned silence, he moved aside to reveal my mother. The Asian in her blood was stronger than mine. Her cheekbones were sharp cut, leaving her cheeks shadowed and hollowed. Her nose was pert and naturally stuck up. Raven-black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. And those grey eyes were as cold as the snow outside.

Acting as if she had all the right in the world to do so, she quick-stepped her way inside. When she saw me standing in the kitchen doorway, she froze. The only thing on her that moved was her eyes as they investigated me from top to bottom.

Her lips pursed. "Hello, Shelby."

"Mother," I said coldly. "What are you doing here?"

Lifting her arm to adjust her purse, an engagement ring and wedding band flashed. My blood boiled as I studied her. She was wearing fancy clothes with a fancy purse, and makeup that cost more than Audrey's car. Apparently, she'd found a man that could pay the price of her love.

"It's really none of your business, but I'm here to pick up a few things."

I crossed my arms over my stomach. "Like what?"

Instead of answering me, her eyes honed in on my breasts and waist. I was still steadily losing the baby weight, and she noticed it.

"Gained some weight, haven't you, dear? It doesn't suit you. Your father must have let your health decline after I left."

I was about to ask her how she would know since she left when I was ten, but a cry from Brayden had me closing my mouth and turning around. Seth's jaw was clenched. Daddy was pissed and Brayden knew it. I held my arms out to take him. When I turned back around, Mother had stepped forward and her eyes widened when she got a look at my son.

She swallowed hard. "Well, I can see your father also relinquished his duties to you. A baby at nineteen. How sad for your future. You should have gotten rid of it while you could."

Seth let out a vicious snarl behind me, but I shook my head at him. My mother was mine to deal with.

"Audrey, could you please take Brayden?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Mother.

A moment later, Audrey was there. Once Brayden was out of my arms, and my hands were free, I slapped my mother across the face. Her head whipped to the side, her own hand going up to cover the area. When she righted herself, anger and astonishment glared out at me.

"How dare yo-"

"No," I interrupted, my voice dangerously low. "How dare you? You walk in here like you own this place, like you haven't been gone for ten years, and you disrespect Dad and me. You bitch. My son and his father are the two very best things that have ever happened to me. And you leaving is the best thing that ever happened to Dad. We've found happiness without you. So you can take your prissy ass self and that rock on your hand and get the hell out of our lives again."

Squaring her shoulders, hands pulling down her fitted coat, she looked down her nose at me. "I am a grandmot-"

I pointed a finger at her. "No, you're not. You will never touch my son. Ever. So don't think you're going to find reasons to butt your nose into our lives so that you can ruin things for us. Go back to your rich husband and however many kids you have with him, and forget that we exist. You did it ten years ago, you can do it again."

"You are still my daughter."

I snorted. She grimaced. Good.

"I haven't been your daughter since you turned your back on me." I gave her the most disgusted look I could muster, which wasn't all that hard. "You're a fucking disgrace."

Rage ignited in her eyes. "You little slut!"

Her hand whipped back. Seth let out a roar. On her downswing though, her arm was caught by a very feminine hand. When Mother jerked to a halt, we all looked over her shoulder to find a very naked Alana. Her teeth were bared much like Seth's in a snarl.

The look on Mother's face was scandalized as if she couldn't believe a naked woman would dare touch her.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her," Alana growled.

"Alana, calm down," Seth said, sensing the same danger that I did. Though Jake and Ness were the ultimate alpha couple, Seth was second in command, so the wolves followed him when Jake was unavailable.

She growled, her grip tightening. Mother winced. Alana threw Mother's arm away from her.

"You even twitch in her direction, I will happily gnaw that arm off." And then she walked away, phasing as she went out the door.

Mother gaped after her, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"You see, Beth," I said, purposely not calling her "mother". "Life has gotten a little weird around here. And I really wouldn't piss Alana off again. She'll do what she said she'll do. Now what do you want?"

It took a moment for the woman to compose herself. Her hands performed a circuit over her hair, down the lapels of the coat, and over the front of her thighs. She went through that circuit maybe five times.

She swallowed hard. "I want the photo albums and home videos. Also, Greg, I left some papers in the safe."

Scowling, he brushed past her to go for his study at the end of the hall. "The papers you can have, but the rest is mine." When she started to argue, he spun to pin her with a glare. "I gave you what you asked for in the divorce. If you had really wanted those things, you should have asked for them then. Now, they belong to me. And my grandson. You won't take everything from me."

While he went to collect what she wanted, Seth and I glared at her as Audrey silently rocked Brayden. She'd gotten him to take his pacifier.

Mother's attention turned to her. "So, I see you're his new whore."

"Mother," I growled in warning.

"No, Shelby. It's ok," Audrey said. "She can say what she likes, but I'm the one who gets to hold this precious boy." She smiled down at Brayden. "Her loss, my gain."

Mother's face contorted in distaste.

"What happened to you?" I asked. "You used to be sweet and kind. You used to dress in sweats and hoodies, and watch cartoons with me. You took care of me when I was sick. Slept with me when I was scared. And then, poof. You just up and left for no reason."

"I wasn't happy."

"Oh, and being a raging bitch makes you happy?" Seth asked.

Her eyes went to him. Like she had me, she studied him. "Really, Shelby. A Native?"

"Don't make me slap you again. That is my son's father, and you will treat him with the respect he deserves. You deserve nothing from us. You came from middle class. And now that you've apparently ascended to bitch class, you think you can look down your nose at us. Well, sorry, sweetness, but even you can't ruin this. I have a son that I love with everything that I am, and I will never leave him, never abandon him the way you did me. Seth? He's my everything. I would be so lost without him. Dad and Audrey?" I shrugged because I didn't know the situation between the two. "They're just hanging out, being each other's company. We're happy where we are and who we're with. So if you should look down your nose at anyone, it should be yourself."

At that moment, Dad showed up brandishing a file folder at my mother. "Here. Get your shit and get out of my house. Don't come back."

"But I still want-" she started as she took the file.

"Alana," I called.

When the wolf showed up at the door, Mother paled.

"Please escort Bethany to her car. It's beyond time for her to leave."

Those cold grey eyes moved from one to the other of us. Taking a deep breath, she squared those shoulders one more time, lifted her chin, and spun on her ridiculously high heel. On her way out, she side-stepped Alana who bared her viciously sharp teeth.

Dad rushed to close and lock the door, and we all took a deep breath. Seth wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I reached for Brayden. Audrey handed him over with a smile.

"I think I know what you mean about the supernatural thing now."

Seth, Dad, and I shared a look.

"Are you ok?" Dad asked her. He looked as if he wanted to wrap an arm around her but didn't want to push her.

She grinned and stepped into his side. "I'm perfectly fine." She looked to me and Seth. "If protection is what you do, then I'm accepting of you."

Seth nodded. "The weird stuff on the news isn't us specifically, but some like us. We're trying to get rid of the threat as we speak."

Audrey nodded again. "Well, this has been an interesting day to say the least."

We all laughed.

"Who's up for some tea?"

An hour later, we were trudging through the snow to see Charlie and Sue. If anything, my mother's visit had been a real eye-opener. I was nothing like her, and never would be. The clear distaste she'd had for me told me that the woman who had once loved didn't exist anymore. And that made it easier to let go of her.

I couldn't help but smile every time I thought of Dad and Audrey, though. She was the sweetest thing, but also tough. They'd met through Dad's therapist because she was the receptionist. They'd been dating for a couple months, and I could tell that Dad was falling for her. A fact that only cemented more after her acceptance of me and Seth, and what we were. Not to mention that Brayden loved her to death.

As we came around the corner and saw Charlie's house, a very feminine, happy cry rang out before Sue burst through the screen door.

"Ah, my boys! And Shelby, dear! I've missed you all so much."

Seth chuckled. "Mom, we visited last week."

She threw her hands in the air. "A week! That is way too long to go between seeing my grandson." She reached for him greedily.

Laughing, I handed him over. He smiled through the pacifier at his grandmother. Charlie came up beside her to kiss his cheek before coming to me to take the diaper bag.

"You know, Seth," he said, hiking the bag on his shoulder, "You could try to, I don't know, blend in a little. Nobody wears just a t-shirt in the snow."

Seth chuckled and shrugged shamelessly. "What can I say? It feels good out here to me."

Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Come on, guys. Let's get this little nugget inside. His widdle nose is pink." With that, Sue turned on her heel and went slowly up the steps.

"We'll be inside in a second," Seth told Charlie.

Charlie gave us the suspicious "cop" look before nodding and following his wife.

I turned to Seth, but before I could say anything, he kissed me, enveloping me in his arms.

When he pulled back, I took a shaky breath. "What was that for?"

Love shined from his eyes. "What you did back there. Standing up to your mom. That was hot as hell, and I couldn't have been prouder of you. Ever since you told me she took off, I've been dreading the thought of her coming back to torment you, but that was amazing."

I shrugged, cheeks flushing. "Well, I didn't like how she talked about you. And I definitely didn't like how she'd sneered at our son. That baby boy is the best eye-opener for me. You and Ness were right. I will never do to Brayden what that bitch did to me. The woman who had once been my mother is gone. Dad and I are fine without her. And I will always stand up for my family. No backing down. Making me a mother was the best thing you've ever done for me. It made me stronger."

He grinned. "Well, then you're welcome. I will selflessly provide another if you wish."

I laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you'd have fun with the making."

His smile turned down a few notches. "Do you want another baby?"

I took a deep breath. "Not right now of course. We just got Brayden. But maybe someday. I don't know." I looked toward the house where my son was being loved on. "I just don't know if I could love another child the way I love him. He's special for me."

He squeezed my waist. "Well, we can't use protection, so there could be an accident. Unless you're saying we should never have sex again."

Looking back at him, his eyes were filled with horror. I laughed and traced his lips with a finger. Hunger and desire replaced the horror.

I swallowed hard as my body heated up. We hadn't made love since Brayden arrived. Carlisle thought it would be best to wait the six weeks that a human female would wait.

"I'd never say that. There's no way I could never have sex with you again. I want you too damn much."

"Good," he growled. "I want you every minute of every day."

Taking another breath to calm down, I asked, "But do you want another baby?"

Sighing, he shrugged. "I don't know. But Shelbs, there's not way to really prevent another pregnancy other than not having sex. Pulling out doesn't always work, and I don't like that anyway. I like to finish inside you."

He said it with no hint of embarrassment, just fact.

"Well, then. I guess, come what may. I'm not saying I wouldn't love any other child we have, Seth."

"I know, baby. I know." He leaned down to kiss me again. "So, it's come what may?"

I stroked his chest and smiled. "Yeah. We'll handle anything that happens. Who knows, one may be our limit. I may never get pregnant again."

The screen door opened. "Are you two just gonna make out in the snow or come inside and eat? And I think Brayden needs a change and food of his own."

"Sorry, Charlie. We were just discussing my mother." I unwound myself from Seth and went for the steps.

His eyebrows took a hike to his hairline. "Your mom?"

I nodded. "Yup. She paid us a visit at my dad's place."

The house was warm and cozy, a fire in the fireplace. The smell of parmesan chicken in the oven wafted over the warm air. And suddenly, I was starving. Brayden was in the bouncy chair that Sue had insisted she keep at the house.

"And?" Charlie asked as he followed me into the living room.

"And I'm glad she's gone. She's turned into a monster. Told me I should have aborted Brayden and insulted Seth."

Another deep breath to calm down for a completely different reason, I turned a smile on a fussy Brayden before picking him up. Charlie had been right. He definitely needed a change, and it was well past his feeding time.

Sue stepped into the doorway of the living room, waving a steak knife. "Is she still around? I'd love to have a conversation with the-"

"Sue," Charlie said with a smile.

"...woman," she finished.

We all laughed.

"I think she's gone." I looked at Charlie. "Although, she did meet Alana."

Charlie shivered. "That's nice."

"In both human and wolf forms," I finished.

The shiver turned into a full on shudder. "That woman is scary."

I nodded. "Yeah, I don't think Mother is coming back anytime soon." Hefting Brayden, I picked up the diaper bag. "Well, I'm gonna go take care of this one."

Seth kissed me as I passed him. "I'll get you a plate together."

"Thanks. Start without me. I'll be a while. This kid eats like you."

Heading upstairs, I went into what must have been Bella's old room. Sue and Charlie had first turned it into an office, but when they found out I was pregnant, they'd turned it into a nursery for whenever they'd keep him. But that wasn't gonna happen for a while. My New Mommy Syndrome was still fully intact and would be for a while. But I took advantage of the changing table. Afterward, I fed him in the rocking chair that had been used to rock Bella when she'd been a baby. It was hard to think that my mother figure had once been a child in this house.

When I finally made it back downstairs, Seth took over burping duty again while I ate. Looking around the table, I remembered what I'd said to my mother. I may not have a rich husband or fancy clothes, unless Alice had her way, but I was rich in the fact that I had a family who loved me, who loved my son. We laughed, cried, and shared together. Though we weren't related by blood, we were family.

A family who would never abandon each other.

That was the greatest wealth one could ever ask for.

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**So, how are we feeling? Yay or nay? Review and let me know! Or PM me if you have any questions. Love you! xoxoxoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok, ok! Chapter 12. A lot of you Nessie/Jacob fans are probably aching to kill me. And yes, this chapter is more of Christa and Walker. BUT BEFORE YOU REACH THROUGH THE COMPUTER TO STRANGLE ME!... I am going to go back to mainly Jacob and Ness. I just love Walker and also have to set this up correctly. So don't worry. Out favorite couple IS coming back full force. I promise!**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

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**RPOV**

Day one, I thought as I woke up next to Jacob. His face was buried in my hair, arm slung over my waist, snoring softly. Lifting up, I tried to look at the clock, but it wasn't on. The power must have gone out. The fire was no more. If Jacob hadn't been wrapped around me, I would have been freezing.

Slipping out from under him, I wrapped myself in the blanket that was on top but still warm and went to start up the fireplace. Luckily, we didn't have any of the kids.

The bed rustled behind me. "You're up before me again."

Shaking my head, a laugh escaped me. "You're just not gonna let that go, are you? You need sleep and rest, Jake. It's ok."

"Well so do you."

"I'm fine, baby."

Above us, there was a knock on the front door. Sighing, Jacob slid out of bed to pad to the closet. He came back out in a black tank and jeans with a handful of clothes for me. Leaning down, he kissed me before taking the stairs two at a time. After I got dressed, I looked at my phone, which mercifully hadn't died overnight, and saw that it was well into the late afternoon. How had we slept that long? All the drama must have exhausted us more than we'd known.

I finally made it upstairs while twisting my hair into a braid. Christa, Walker, and a little girl were standing in the living room while Jacob got the fire going. The little girl was wrapped around Christa's legs, holding a doll close to her chest, and peeking at me around Christa's thigh. She was a beautiful little girl with coffee brown hair and dark blue eyes. Her long hair was braided into pigtails. Walker was talking to Jacob.

I grinned. "Hey, Christa."

"Hey, Ness."

In front of her, I crouched down. "And who is this?"

The girl moved deeper into Christa's thigh.

"This is Haleigh. Walker and I are taking her in for a little while. She's with his pack."

Wow. That was a big step for a new couple, but I could see why. Haleigh had grinned a happy grin at that statement.

"Well, hello, Haleigh. It's nice to meet you. My name is Nessie. And that," I pointed, "is Jacob. He's my mate."

She looked over at him and then back to me. Frowning, she then looked up at Christa questioningly.

Christa nodded. "That's right. Ness is my alpha female. She's pretty awesome."

Dark blue eyes studied me, scrutinizing my face and hair. And then she looked at Jacob again. Finally, she stepped out from behind Christa and came up to me slowly, that doll clutched in a tight grip. Reaching out, she stroked her hand down my braid, and then put her fingers to my face. I smiled and she traced my lips.

"You're very pretty," she said in a high, tinkling voice.

"Thank you. So are you."

She grinned before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Oh," I said. And then I hugged her back. When I tried to pull back, she didn't let go. Instead, she made a little hop and wrapped her little legs around me.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Christa said as I straightened up.

Shifting Haleigh to my hip, she tucked her face into my shoulder and sighed.

"When she likes someone, she wants them to hold her. We found that out last night."

I laughed as Jacob looked over at us. He studied me for a long moment, and I knew what was on his mind. Our own kids.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I'm going to get the generator going. Walker, why don't you get the fires up. I can't believe we just woke up. I'm starving." His stomach rumbled and we all heard it. Haleigh giggled, making him stop on his way to the door. He turned around to come over to us. She shrank into me as he neared, but he didn't get too close. He smiled gently at her. "Hi, Haleigh. I'm Jacob. We're very happy to have you here."

And apparently that was all it took. She reached out for him in a swift movement. He made a surprised sound as he reacted to catch her before she fell between us. Just as I hadn't had a choice, neither did he.

"Well, then," he said as he repositioned her. "You wanna go outside with me to start the generator? Then, we can come back in and eat."

Grinning, she nodded.

"Alright, let's go," Jacob said.

A moment later they were outside. Christa and Walker both chuckled.

"So, what's going on, guys?" I asked, pushing my hands into my pockets. It was starting to get chilly in the house.

Walker wrapped an arm around Christa and kissed her temple. "We're just getting out of the house. We gotta thank the Cullens for that generator. It's heavensent, I swear. Haleigh wanted to watch Disney movies all day. So, what's going on with your family?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just went down there to visit and they were all thankful that no wolves were there. Which, I suppose I understand. The pack is significantly bigger than it used to be, and now there are your wolves at the river. I guess they're feeling a bit...trapped. I just decided that we'd move things around to give them some room."

"Makes sense. But why now?"

Again, I shrugged. "It does seem out of nowhere, but you never know." My teeth started chattering and that made me wonder where Jacob was. Frowning, I went for the back door to the cabin which was located down the hallway next to the kitchen.

Peering through the window of the door, I saw Haleigh hiding behind a large tree, the doll pressed to her heaving chest. Jacob was in wolf form prowling around. I watched as Haleigh giggled, darted around the tree, and threw a snowball at Jacob's flank. He whipped around and yipped playfully. Haleigh ran around the tree and tackled him. Though he could have stayed standing, he fell back into a snowdrift with her on top of him.

I stepped out onto the porch and crossed my arms while they played in the snow.

"Jacob Black," I called.

They both stopped to stare at me, both wearing expressions of being caught. One wolf, one human, same expression. Getting up and shaking his coat, he nudged her in the back before darting into the woods. Grinning, she stared at her feet shamelessly. Another snowball formed in her small, glove hands as she crouched down. Jacob strolled around the tree, grinning.

"Aw, Ness. Don't blame me. She started-"

Haleigh giggled as the snowball met Jacob's face.

"It," he finished, shaking his head.

I stifled my own laugh. "I don't care who started it. Start up the generator. It's getting colder inside. Haleigh, come inside. Let's get you dried off."

She pouted.

I sighed. "Alright. You can come in with Jake."

Squealing, she ran over to wrap herself around his leg while he worked the generator to life. Once it sputtered on, she covered her ears from the noise. Jacob scooped her up, draping her over his shoulder as he came up the porch steps. He kissed me while she kicked her little feet.

"There. It's on."

"Thank you. Now I can get us all fed."

Following Jake inside, he handed Haleigh off to Christa to get dried off and then went to sit with Walker at the kitchen table.

"She sure is a handful," Jacob said.

Walker chuckled. "Oh, yeah." Then he paused as if trying to decide to say something else. Finally, he blew a deep breath out. "I know Christa told you we're kind of taking her in, but it's more than that."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I got everything out that I'd need for french toast.

He scrubbed his face. "She's an orphan. Tristan's pack killed her parents three years ago. She doesn't remember them, but she doesn't trust anyone. If she lets you hold her, that means she trusts you." When we gave him questioning looks, he said, "Bianca explained it to me like this: the adults pay attention to the children. If a child trusts you, then the pack will. Even when Edmund had been sane, Haleigh wasn't thrilled about him. Apparently, the way she acts with me and Christa is a first. Bianca said that Haleigh is usually quiet and withdrawn with the adults, even the females that take care of her. But she just wouldn't let go of me or Christa."

Jacob and I shared a look.

"So, you're thinking about something like adoption?" Jacob asked.

Walker shrugged. "Last night, when we got her home, she was all smiles and giggles. She was more alive than even when she was playing with the other kids."

Tentatively, I approached the question that both me and Jacob were thinking. "You're a new couple. Are you sure you'd be ready for something like this?"

It was a long moment before he answered. "Look, I know I'm only eighteen and new at the wolf and relationship thing. But that little girl needs someone not to be selfish. She picked us. How can I just turn away when all men have ever done is hurt or try to hurt her?"

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked sharply.

Walker snorted darkly. "Tristan killed her parents, leaving her alone in the woods with what was left of them. And yesterday, Malik, one of my new wolves and one of my torturers, attacked her. She managed to get away and find Christa." He gave Jacob serious eye contact. "He talked to me about _eating_ her, Jacob. And given what all he did to me in that cave, I believe he'd do it. I won't leave her unprotected."

"What did you do with him?"

"Put guards on him. I don't want to become a killer. I don't know. Maybe I should just throw him in the cell."

"Probably be wise," I muttered.

Jacob nodded thoughtfully after thinking through it. "But adoption?" he asked going back to the main conversation. "I mean, sure guardianship, but adoption is about parenting."

"But really, what's the difference? If something happened to Sam and Emily, you'd have to raise Leila. That's parenting. Of course, you'd tell her about her parents, but it's still parenting. What tells me that I'm right about this is that I know that what I feel for that little girl is not brotherly, not near what I feel about Tricia. Which, by the way,_ is_ brotherly. And it's not the protectiveness I feel toward Christa. But it nonetheless is about...family. Something that strong."

Smirking, Jacob slapped Walker on the back. "Now, that's a leader. If you think, feel, that it's right, then I'll support you and Christa."

"Me, too," I chimed in cheerfully. "Fully. We'll help out with whatever you need."

"Thank you."

We turned to see Christa holding hands with Haleigh. Grinning, Haleigh let go of Christa to run into Walker's arms. He hefted her up to sit on his lap. He was positively glowing with the fact that she wanted to be near him, that he was the male she trusted. Watching her two charges, Christa's face softened as she walked over to press a kiss to Walker's lips and Haleigh's hair.

"So what's for dinner?" Walker asked.

"Tacos."

"Tacos?" Haleigh asked.

I nodded. "Tacos. Have you ever had them?"

She shook her head.

Christa reached over to brush the girl's hair back. "The pack eats what they hunt. They're nomadic so…she's never had the meals we're used to."

"Well...looks like we're going to have to change that."

Christa laughed. "She really like the pasketti I made her last night. I bet she'll like tacos."

Jacob patted his stomach. Haleigh looked over at him. "I love tacos. And Nessie's are the best."

I waved the wooden spoon at him. "Don't go bragging about stuff like that. I'm your imprint. Not everybody's going to agree with you."

He rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. Haleigh laughed.

"You're silly," she said.

Jacob's jaw dropped animatedly. "Alright, that's it. I'm gonna get you. And not even Walker can protect you."

Squealing, she hopped down and ran into the living room, her socked feet slipping on the hardwood. She squealed as he caught her and nibbled on her neck.

"He's going to be a great dad," Christa said.

Walker nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's also a great leader."

At that, Christa and I both nodded in agreement.

And then Walker sat forward on his elbows and frowned. "Isn't he supposed to be on patrols right now?"

I didn't hide my expression fast enough.

Suspiciously, Walker narrowed his eyes at me. "What? What's going on?"

I sighed knowing he wouldn't back down until he knew. He was, after all, an alpha now. And boy, did I know how alphas worked. I was married to one.

"Jacob and I have these friends. We met them on our honeymoon. One of them is psychic and she had a vision that I would be attacked by the river tomorrow. Jacob has vowed to stay with me today and tomorrow just in case."

His frown deepened. "Attacked? By one of mine?"

I shrugged. "It would make sense. I mean, my first reaction to you guys moving closer to the rez is for me to help out. And the camp is by the river."

"You trust her?" Christa asked, rubbing Walker's back over his shoulder blades.

Nodding, I stirred the meat and then drained it before putting in the seasoning. "She's very convincing. And Jacob trusts her. He couldn't smell a lie on her before."

"Well, then, you'll stay away from the river."

"You sound like Jacob."

Walker growled. "Good because he's right. Do you not understand how important you are to the pack? You're still my alpha female."

Startled I looked over at him with wide eyes.

He nodded. "I look up to you and Jake. You both have been through some shit and you're still intact. I don't think any of us would be able to handle it if something happened to you."

"I agree," Christa said matter of fact. "You brought me and Morgan back together. That means a lot to both of us that you pushed us to that first step. You take care of us when we need you. We can only do the same."

My heart melted. "Thank you. That means a lot to me. But I can't just sit around to wait for my life to pass by just because something_ might_ happen. She could be wrong. I'm done being helpless little Nessie. I'm actually married to the alpha, and I need to act like it."

They both scowled at me. "So you're going to intentionally put yourself in harm's way to give us all heart attacks?"

I choked out a laugh. "She didn't say I was going to die, just get attacked. And no, I'm not going to intentionally put myself in harm's way. I promised Jake to do whatever it took to stay away from the river."

Walker opened his mouth to argue, when Jake flew Haleigh into the kitchen.

"Alright, enough grown-up talk," he said with a glare at me. "Kidlet ears are in range."

Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the meat. "Let me just get the veggies cut up."

"Aw crap," Christa muttered. And then a chair scraped over wood. "Here I am watching you slave away while telling you how important you are. I'll cut up the veggies."

"Christa-," I started.

She glared at me, pointing the knife at me in front of her body so Haleigh couldn't see it. "Shush it, you."

I held my hands up in surrender as I went for the fridge to pull out drinks and sauces. Walker was bouncing Haleigh in his lap and she was making that "uhhhhhh" noise in the process. Luckily, I'd bought some chocolate milk because that's what she asked for.

"Thanks for dinner, by the way," Walker said. "You didn't have to feed us."

Chuckling, Jacob put his glass down. "Are you joking? Of course we did. But what brought you up here to begin with? To show her off?"

Walker chuckled, kissing the top of her head. He repositioned her so that her back was to his chest and his arms framed her. "No, but that was a plus. Nah, I heard Adam came by the house last night to tell us that you wanted me to move my pack. But where? I didn't know if you had a certain spot in mind."

Jacob shrugged as Christa and I made it to the table at the same time and sat down. Everything was quiet for a moment as we got our plates ready. Walker rolled up a taco on his plate that was significantly smaller than the others and showed Haleigh how to hold it while she ate it.

Her little face scrunched up in concentration. Walker kept his hands around hers just in case as she took a bite. Chewing carefully, and then taking another bite, she grinned at me through a full mouth.

"You like?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Well, good."

Walker continued to help her eat before digging into his own plate. I shared a smile with Jacob. Walker really was acting the father figure, and it was amazing to watch. Just months ago, he'd been an angry teenager, furious with his circumstances and the people around him. Now, he was calm and patient, gentle with this precious girl. They shared a look as he bit into his own taco. She looked at him expectantly, so he nodded.

"Mmm," he mumbled.

She grinned at me again.

I was no longer jealous of the kids around us. Instead, I was thankful for them. They changed people, their innocence bringing out the best in the adults. Still, I desperately wanted my own, to carry Jacob's child. But Carlisle and Jacob were right. Walker's story about Haleigh's torment had been blood-chilling. A safe home was the only place to raise a child, and so far, that wasn't what we had. So before we brought another child into the world, we needed to make Forks safe again.

Jacob's hand found mine under the table. I squeezed his fingers. He raised his glass of sweet tea to the middle of the table.

"To family, blood or otherwise."

We all raised our glasses, too. Haleigh looked confused but followed the example.

"To family," we all called out with a laugh.

**JPOV**

An hour or so later, Walker took Christa and Haleigh into town to get Haleigh some clothes and to shop for the pack. I'd let him borrow the truck and Ness had given him her card. I'd told him to move them to cleared area where Ness and I had gotten married. It should still have been cleared out.

Ness had joined me on the porch with a mug of hot chocolate.

"It's beautiful," she said. Since the cabin was settled in the middle of a meadow, the snow had dropped around the house. The top of the lake was frozen over but not enough to walk on. Not yet anyway.

I nodded. "Yeah, it is," I said, lacing my fingers through hers.

We just stood there, leaning against the rail to listen to the quiet forest. The woods seemed empty, but all the animals were tucked away, being driven inside by the cold. Nessie's hunting schedule would be harder to stick to, but we'd still try. The pack could help us push the deer to her.

"Seriously, I hate that woman."

Ness and I shared a look as Shelby's voice echoed up to us.

"What right does she think she have to talk to me like that? To tell me I should have aborted Brayden? She had me at nineteen. Dumb bitch."

Seth's chuckle as well as a baby's gurgle followed. After a moment, they finally rounded the bend in the trail. Shelby was red in the face, nose pink, as she huffed up the incline. Seth was carrying a smiling Brayden as well as wearing a smile himself.

When she finally looked up, she blinked in surprise. "Nessie." And then she relaxed. "Thank god. I need to vent and something hot to drink. Do you mind?"

Nessie chuckled. "Not at all. Get in here where it's warm." She kissed my cheek as Shelby made her way up the porch steps.

"Hey, Jake."

"What's up?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Her mother came for a visit," Seth answered as Shelby took Brayden from him and went inside with Ness.

"Ugh," she growled as she stomped inside with her son.

"Everything ok?"

Seth chuckled. "Kind of."

Patrick and Alana, in wolf form, rounded the bend and sat down to stare at the house.

I gave them a questioning glance. Seth looked vaguely uncomfortable. "I told them they needed to talk to you. Well, Alana does."

She lowered her head and whimpered.

"I take it something went down?"

Seth nodded. "Yeah. In her defense it was an instinctive reaction though it was wrong."

"Tell me," I said keeping my eyes on the wolves.

He went into the explanation of Shelby's mom coming in, acting like she owned the damn world, and almost hitting Shelby. That's when he got tentative, giving a sympathetic look to Alana.

"She phased in front of her."

"What?!" I yelled, eyes swinging to the wolf who had now hunkered down in the snow.

"After threatening her."

Now I glared.

"And the phase also happened in front of Shelby's dad's girlfriend. But," he continued quickly, "she's ok with it. She's cool. We don't have to worry about her."

"Alana, get over here," I growled.

Slowly, she got up and trudged through the snow, her head down, eyes rolled up.

"Phase. I wanna hear what you have to say."

She did as she was told, but her chin stayed glued to her chest, eyes still rolled up.

"Well?"

Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin in the stubborn look I knew well. "I'm not sorry. The bitch was about hit Shelby."

"Shelby could have taken the hit."

She nodded. "I know, but she shouldn't have to. The woman needed to know that Shelby was loved and wanted as well as Brayden. It was instinct."

Behind me, the door opened.

"Alana, do you know what she could do with what she saw?"

"She won't."

I turned to see Shelby in the doorway. She had a mug balanced in her hands. Brayden was in Nessie's arms.

"How do you know?" I demanded. I was pissed. This was one more thing that we didn't need. "Shelby, she could bring in outsiders. All the reported sightings of wolves in the woods. The 'animal' killings."

Shelby shook her head, eyes determined. "My mother won't breathe a word for fear that she'd be seen as crazy. She's got a rich husband, and no doubt, more kids. She wouldn't risk it. No proof besides what she saw. And she's in shock. She'll talk herself out of it." Her eyes went to Alana. "Alana was protecting me. It's what you guys do. You can't blame her, Jacob. And, thank you, Alana. I appreciate what you did."

While Alana flushed with pride, my molars gnashed together.

"Do you not understand the danger you've put us in?"

"Jacob, think about it," Shelby said, forcing me to turn back to her. "The Makahs no doubt have proof, and you've threatened them. They're a danger, too. This whole time. Alana was doing what she was supposed to, which was to protect me. Granted, it wasn't done in the most graceful of ways, which I'm sure she's learned her lesson. But you put Patrick and her on my guard duty. What did you expect from two soldiers?"

"In her defense, again," Seth said, "I was chomping at the bit myself. If Alana hadn't stepped in, I'd have gone apeshit. I was very close to phasing in that house. Even with Brayden and Shelby nearby. It was good that she was there or worse could have gone down."

Angrily, I sighed knowing that Seth wouldn't admit that unless it was true. But I still pinned Alana with a glare. "You watch yourself from now on. Otherwise I'm gonna put you on the rez. Permanently." The alpha tone coated my words.

She nodded. "Yes, Jacob. I understand." With that she phased back to go sit with Patrick, who rubbed his muzzle against hers.

"Shelby, why don't we go home?" Seth said, giving me a hard look. "Let's let the alpha couple have some alone time."

Nessie gave Brayden one last nose bump before handing him off. As she passed me, Shelby patted my arm.

"It's ok, Jacob. If anything, she saved my mother's life."

This time in defeat, I sighed. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, though."

She smiled. "Hey, I came out on top and told her to get the hell out of our lives and stay there."

"What did she even come back for?" Ness asked, wrapping her arms around one of mine.

Shelby shook her head. "Some stupid thing about photo albums and home videos." She shrugged. "I think she just came back to see if we had crumbled without her." Smiling down at Brayden, she said, "Which we didn't. We got stronger."

Seth wrapped an arm around her. "Come on, Shelbs. Let's get home."

Now my smile reappeared. It was great to see them so happy, to see Shelby no longer fear becoming her mother.

I wrapped my own arm around Ness. "Good night, guys. Stay warm."

Cuddling into me, Nessie's arms slid around my waist as we watched them walk off with Alana and Patrick. "I love them so much. And Brayden is just perfect."

"Not gonna yell at me for how I talked to Alana?"

She pulled back to frown up at me. "Why would I do that? You did and said what you thought was necessary. It's not my job to scold you for being the alpha. I do have to stand by you, Jacob. And I do. I'll only argue if I think it's necessary. There were numerous things she could have done differently. She should have thought about that first. But what's done is done and we'll deal with it."

"I love you. There is no way I could do this without you. You keep my head sane."

She chuckled and rubbed my back. "Well, I am the only one you listen to. I have to be the rational thinker out of the two of us."

"Ain't that the truth," I muttered. "Come on. Let's get inside. Your nose is turning pink."

She nodded. "I have a Thanksgiving dinner to plan anyway."

Though we'd had little interaction with everybody and had slept practically all day, I was exhausted. Collapsing on the couch, I turned on the tv while Ness grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil.

The night was spent inside and together, a lovely silence of companionship between us.

**WalkerPOV**

Once we got back from town, we stopped to check on the pack. Haleigh retreated into herself as we walked closer and closer to the river. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her face buried in my shoulder. Christa had taken her clothes shopping while I went to get supplies for the pack. Last night, she'd gotten a bath in an actual bathtub instead of a river. I think she was getting used to having a home, which was sealing the deal on her staying with us. She kept asking when we could go home.

"Hey, guys!" Bianca said as she spotted us over the bonfire. Everybody stopped or turned to look at us.

"Hey." In one hand, I was carrying a bunch of bags. In the other, Haleigh nestled into me. Christa was also laden with bags. "We got some stuff for the pack. Extra blankets. Space heaters. Dinnerware. Stuff like that."

Bianca's face showed surprise. "You didn't have to do that, Walker."

"Yes, I did. I'm your pack leader. I take care of what's mine."

While she was speechless, Angelica spoke up. "That's very sweet of you. Thank you."

I shrugged as best I could. "Well, it's also to butter you up. We need to move the camp down by the rez."

"Why?" Bianca asked.

I didn't want to tell them the real reason so I hedged, "I just want you guys closer to us until we can get those cabins built on Roderick's land."

The entire area went quiet except for the bubbling water of the river.

"What?" Bianca asked softly. Her eyes watered and she cleared her throat.

I gave her serious eye contact. "I don't need to think about this anymore. No more trial run. I want you and Roderick to make out a plan. You guys have been on your own too long with a crazy man. These kids need stability and warm beds. And home-cooked meals. That's what we'll give them." I took a deep breath. "I won't force the kids to go to school if they don't want to, but they will still need to be taught. Nessie has some left over homeschool books. I'm sure we could figure something out."

At first, everything remained quiet while they stared at me. And then, they started sharing looks and whispers amongst themselves. Eventually, the chatter became excited, smiles being tossed around. Bianca got up to come to me, the tears flowing now.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do."

She smiled and then looked at Haleigh. "And you brought our munchkin back."

Haleigh's grip on me tightened.

"Actually, I think Christa and I are going to keep her with us." I stroked her back. "Would you be alright with that? Staying with me and Miss Christa?"

She nodded. "Mhm."

"Good." I kissed her hair. "We'd like it, too."

Christa smiled at me.

Bianca melted. "Finally."

"You're ok with that?" Christa asked in surprise.

Angelica came up to stand beside her lover. "We've all been waiting for her to get attached to someone who will take care of her. She's never been that attached to any of us."

"Will you adopt her?" Bianca asked.

Leaning back, Haleigh looked at me expectantly as if she knew what that meant. She was smart for a six year old.

Christa and I shared a look. Crouching down, I set Haleigh on her feet. While I thought about what I was going to say, I messed with her braids. Christa knelt down beside me, but didn't say anything. She knew I wanted to handle this, and Haleigh's attention was all on me anyway.

"Haleigh, what do you want, sweetie?" I asked her. Hopefully, she'd understand.

Her dark blue eyes bounced between me and Christa as she hugged the doll to her chest.

"A mommy and daddy," she whispered.

Christa whimpered, eyes tearing up. My heart melted, tugging at those paternal strings again. That hadn't been what I was asking, but I supposed that was answer enough. My mate and I shared another look. Complete understanding passed between us. No way could we leave this girl. No fucking way.

I swallowed hard, knowing that whatever happened next would change my life forever. It would change everything about me, about Christa.

"You want that with me and Christa? Would you like us to adopt you?"

Without hesitation, she nodded, lower lip trembling, and flung herself into my arms, crying into my shirt. Angelica started crying, putting her hands over her mouth.

"Shhh," I muttered, stroking her back. Christa, crying as well, ran a hand over her hair. "It's ok, Haleigh. It's ok. We're not leaving you."

She sniffled. "Promise?"

"I swear it, baby girl."

Pulling back, she let me go to throw herself into Christa's arms. Christa rocked her, kissed her hair, and whispered to her. She offered me a watery smile and gripped my fingers with her free hand.

I stood up and had to clear my throat before I spoke. "So, it looks like we're adopting her. Is there anything that needs to be signed or done?"

Bianca shook her head, wiping away the tears that fell when she did so. "She was an orphan when she came to us. And it's a rule for our kind not to give birth in a hospital because they take blood. There'd be no record of her birth."

"How'd you know her information, then?"

"There was a backpack full of her stuff and her parents' in the clearing where we found her. Her name is Haleigh Marie. No last name. The parents were nomadic as well. They probably just made one up whenever they interacted with the public. That's how we all do."

Looking back at my two girls, I said, "Well, she's going to have a last name now. Mine. As is my mate."

Christa looked up at me with surprise. I nodded. "That's right. I want us officially mated and married."

"Are you proposing?" Christa breathed.

I knelt down in front of her. "I am. Will you marry me?"

After a long moment of just studying me, she grinned and nodded. "Of course."

Howls broke out behind us. Turning, I found that the pack had moved to stand close by, listening. A little howl echoed in front of me. Haleigh had stepped away from Christa to toss her head back and join in with the pack. It wasn't as in tune or deep, but the emotion was clear. Joy. She was happy.

She caught me watching her and lifted her arms, letting me know she wanted to be picked up. I hefted her up into my arms. She kissed my cheek and hugged me hard. Christa stepped into my other side and I wrapped my arm around her waist. Out into the night, more howls joined my pack's. Jacob's pack. They weren't supposed to howl unless something was wrong, but even to my ears, they were happy sounds.

I looked to Bianca. "Tomorrow, we'll move camp down toward the rez. There's a clearing that should be enough room. There's a stream that runs close that you can use until we can get the cabins done. We'll work on the plans as soon as possible. However, I do want some of our wolves on patrols."

She nodded. "Whatever you need."

"I know we've had this conversation before but I'm sure about this, ok? Jacob is my alpha. I trust him, so you'll be listening to him as much as me. If I can, I'll get him and Nessie out here so that you can get acquainted. Don't worry, I'll make sure you that you get comfy with his wolves. They're good people."

She nodded again. "Ok, we'll talk about all this tomorrow. You have some celebrating to do at home tonight."

"Thank you."

Members of the pack came forward to take all the bags we'd dragged out here. Through the crowd, I caught Malik sitting on one of the logs framing the bonfire, his guards surrounding him. He just watched me with a wicked smirk that didn't bode well. My gut clenched with that look. He waved at me, waggling his fingers. I lifted my lip in a snarl, a warning.

"Walker?" Christa asked.

Glancing at her, I gave her a weak smile.

"You ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I must not have been convincing because Haleigh put a finger between my eyes where my brows were pulled together in a frown. I smiled when she gave me a grumpy look and bounced her once. "Yeah, I'm ok."

"I wanna go home," Haleigh said with a pout as if she knew I wouldn't be able to say no. Of course I couldn't. She already had me wrapped around her finger after one night of being in the house.

"Well, then, let's go home."

After saying goodbye to everyone, we hopped up in the truck, tried to drop it off at Jakes but he insisted on us taking it back down to the rez so we wouldn't have to walk in the cold, and went home. More snow was moving in, the temperature dropping quickly and drastically.

Haleigh had fallen asleep in the truck allowing Christa and I to talk. We'd talked about getting married and adopting a six year old little girl. Christa didn't want a big wedding, just wanted us to marry as soon as possible, which I agreed with. We decided to talk to Carlisle. Maybe he'd be able to pull something together. We also decided to talk to Alice and Nessie about any of Nessie's old things like clothing. Christa mentioned talking to Emily about some of Claire's old things.

As was typical with kids in cars, Haleigh woke up when we pulled into the driveway. And she wanted to rewatch Beauty and the Beast. She liked the talking chipped, teacup. Before I popped it in, though, Christa and I knelt sat on the coffee table in front of her while she climbed up to sit down. When she went to put her thumb in her mouth, I gave her a look. We'd had that talk this morning. Biting her lip instead, she situated her doll in her lap.

"Sweetie, we just wanted to talk to you about this, ok?" Christa said sweetly.

She nodded.

"Walker and I have decided to get married, mated. And we've decided to adopt you. You said you wanted that, right?"

Again, she nodded, but didn't meet our eyes. She just played with the skirt on her doll. Reaching forward, I put a finger under her chin and lifted until her eyes met mine.

"Baby girl, we just want to know if you understand what we're saying. Can you tell us what you're thinking?"

Worrying that lip a little more, she fidgeted, eyes tearing up. With her gaze averted, she said, "You're going to be my mommy and daddy, right? I want you to be my mommy and daddy."

Christa and I shared a look.

She leaned forward, a comforting hand on Haleigh's leg. "Sweetheart, we're not going to ask you to call us that. We know we're not really your parents. We just want to take care of you."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because Haleigh just burst into tears. "You don't wanna be my mommy?"

"Oh, sweetheart." She gathered the weeping girl into her arms. "I didn't mean it like that, baby. I just want you to know that you can just call us Christa and Walker. You don't have to call us anything special."

"Haleigh, sweetheart, look at me." Slowly, her eyes peeked over Christa's shoulder to stare me. They were filled with tears. "Do you remember your mommy and daddy?"

She shook her head.

"Ok. That's ok. Christa and I very much want to you to be with us. What she was trying to say was that you don't have to call us mommy and daddy, ok? But we'll still be here. We won't leave you no matter what you call us."

"Promise?"

The vulnerability in that one request broke my heart. And made me very angry. That she needed affirmation of everything meant she'd been let down too many times in her too short life.

Reaching forward, I cupped her little face. "I promise you. We'll never leave you. You're safe with us."

"Always," Christa murmured.

I held out my fist, pinky extended. "Here. Pinky promise."

Sniffling, she moved around in Christa's lap to frown at me. "What?"

Grasping her hand, I positioned it to mirror mine. And then I wrapped my pinky around hers.

"It's called a pinky promise. And they're very important. Breaking a pinky promise is very bad. So," I tightened my grip on hers and gave her serious eye contact. "I pinky promise never to leave you and that you're safe with us."

Grinning, getting the gist of it, she wrapped her pinky around mine. And then she separated from me to hold her pinky out to Christa. My mate solemnly wrapped her pinky around Haleigh's.

"Pinky promise," Haleigh repeated.

"Pinky promise," Christa echoed.

"Pinky promise," I said with finality.

Our first family bonding moment.

Leaning forward, I kissed her forehead. "Now, why don't you go get your jammies on and then we'll watch the movie?"

Grinning, she hopped off Christa's lap to go get dressed for bed.

An hour and some change later, I scooped Haleigh off the couch and carried her to her bed. She'd passed out about halfway through, which meant she'd want to rewatch it tomorrow. Christa followed me with the doll to tuck it in next to her. We both kissed her forehead, turned out the light, and left the door opened a crack. Going through the house, we turned off lights and smothered the fires.

Once we were curled up in bed, wearing clothes just in case Haleigh ended up crawling into bed with us, I pulled Christa into my side.

"So, we're really doing this?" she asked as she traced her finger over my chest.

Putting a hand behind my head, I studied the ceiling and blew out a breath. "It seems right." I looked down at her and then back to the ceiling. "Doesn't it? Getting married and raising her?"

She was quiet for a moment. "But are you wanting to marry me for her, or because you want to marry me?"

Now I looked at her and kept my eyes on her. "Christa, I love you. We're mates. Period. There's not a requirement on how long we have to stay together before we can get married. Or none that I'm aware of. I'm not questioning us. I want you to be my wife. I want to raise this little girl with my wife at my side. I want that title to belong to you and only you. Sure, we kill two birds with one stone with setting a good example for her. But we're permanent. Might as well give you a new title. Bottom line, I asked you to marry me because I want you to. No, I need you to. Ok? Do you understand that?"

It was her turn to sniffle and wipe her eyes using my chest, but she nodded. "Yeah. I love you, too." And then she seemed to think about something. "What are we gonna tell your parents? You're only, almost, nineteen. And you haven't been back long."

I shrugged, not really concerned with my parents. "We'll tell them the truth, introduce them to Haleigh. Of course, we'll have to explain to her that she can't do anything wolfy, unless we tell them about us. And I still need to buy you a ring. I wanna do that before we tell them. Dad would kill me."

She chuckled. "I don't think the ring will make a difference in that regard. He's going to kill you anyway for making me his daughter-in-law. And making him a grandfather."

"And I don't care. Look, I'm not doing all this for his approval. The ring is actually important to me. But more than that, I'm just letting them know that I'm fine and happy. That I've got a life that I'm proud of, that they can't take away from me."

Her warm hand stroked up and down my torso, stopping just above the waist of the boxers and going all the way up to my jawline.

"Ok, but about the ring. Nothing huge." She shuddered. "Don't spend too much. Wait. How _will_ you pay for something like that?"

I laughed. "Are you kidding? My mom put even my toothfairy money in the bank. Every piece of money I ever got is in the bank. I'm pretty good for a while. Plus, I had a job when I was in high school. Actually, I still had it when I was attacked. I wonder if he replaced me yet."

"What did you do?"

"I was a coach at the community center for any and all sports. The parents paid me to coach their kids. I also helped train them in the gym, the older kids anyway. That might be something we could pull together for the kids of the rez and in my pack, separately of course."

"Wow. So, you're a natural with kids."

I shrugged. "I spent a lot of time watching over Tricia and her friends. Either you get used to it or be irritated the rest of your life. Plus, I like kids. They're the most honest people, except for drunk people."

The bed shook and I realized she was laughing, burying her face into my side. I loved it when she laughed.

"Well, tomorrow we need to help the pack move down here, but the day after, we can go ring shopping if you want? Or if you wanna go by yourself, I'll take Haleigh shopping. We can buy stuff for her room."

I kissed her forehead. "Sounds good. Now, let's get some slee-"

The door opened a crack so that some light seeped into the room. A small silhouette didn't quite reach the bed.

I shared an amused look with Christa. "Come on in, baby girl."

She quickly darted in, closed the door, and crawled up onto the bed. Before we could move apart, she wiggled herself between us under the covers, Christa's arm sandwiching her between us.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

"'Night, baby girl."

She jolted up suddenly, her hair in disarray. "Oh, wait." Scrambling around she stretched herself up to plant a kiss on my cheek with a big "muah". Then she turned to do the same to Christa before burrowing back down between us.

"Ok. Goodnight again."

Christa and I chuckled as we said our goodnights one last time. In seconds, Haleigh was fast asleep, her little face buried into my side, warmth breath caressing my skin. Gently, I rolled over a little to wrap my arms around Christa.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered. "I can't wait for this journey."

"Me either. She's perfect."

Nodding, Christa looked down at Haleigh and kissed her head.

"She sure is."

"You both are."

We shared one last kiss before cuddling down around Haleigh and falling asleep to the sound of her deep breathing and the pattering of her little heart.

* * *

**Who else wants Walker? Jacob...you are so close to getting dethroned. Pull it together, man! Bahahahaha anywhozzle, tell me how ya feel about it. Hate me? Love me? Let me know! But I can tell you I love you! xoxoxoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

**Holy cow! Chapter 13 already! Woo hoo! This is just flying by. Ok, so a lot of you have missed Jake and Nessie...especially some sexy time. Well, fine. Here ya go! But honestly, I loved this chapter even though some, um, not so happy things happen. But ya know, shit happens. Oh, and some of you have been asking about the cabins. A fan of mine sent me some links to a sight where they created their own version of the cabins. They did this last installment in PIP, but they're very close to how I picture them. If you want the link PM me and I'll send them to you.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**RPOV**

Frustrated with my food planning, I growled and threw the pad of paper onto the coffee table. Jacob was watching UFC on Spike but not really into it like he usually is.

Turning to him, I wrapped my arms around myself and rested my head on his shoulder. "You still thinking about Alana, Seth, and Shelby?"

He muted the tv. "I just don't understand," he said, shaking his head tightly. "Why wouldn't Alana just let Shelby take the hit?"

"For the same reason Adam or Derek wouldn't let me take a hit. Shelby was right. You put them in charge of guarding us. And that's what they're going to do."

"Then this is my fault?"

I shook my head. "No. We just need to be specific with them. We need to tell them that if we're in public, then they need to let us take the petty stuff and only reveal themselves if absolutely necessary." Moving my head, I kissed his shoulder. "There's nothing we can do about what happened but wait. Maybe Shelby's right. From what she told me that woman wouldn't want anyone thinking she was crazy. And Audrey?" I shrugged. "Only time will tell. Maybe we can meet up with her with Seth and Shelby to further explain things. We can only play the hand we're dealt. No use stirring a stick through the spilled milk."

Sighing, he wrapped his arm around me. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I understand your anger, and so do they. You have every right to be angry. But there's no sense in expressing it physically. You've explained your anger to them and that's enough. Now let's deal with it rationally."

His shoulders lifted with another heavy sigh. "You are so perfect."

I rolled my eyes. "Would you stop saying that? I'm gonna get a complex." Snuggling in against him while he chuckled, I changed the subject. "So how about Haleigh, Walker, and Christa? That's huge."

He nodded. "Yeah, but they fit. She loves them. One night in their house and she didn't want to leave. I asked her what they did last night and she said that mommy made pasketti and daddy watched a movie with her."

My eyes widened. "She called them that?"

He nodded. "It's serious for her. Like, she understands that they aren't her biological parents, but she wants them to love her like a daughter."

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't need to worry about that. Walker is totally wrapped around her finger."

"Amen to that. The guy is young, but...there's just something about him that's changed. I'm pretty sure his weeks being tortured has something to with it. That'll mature anyone. And then Craig coming to tell us about the howling? That they're engaged _and_ adopting Haleigh. That's a lot, but I think they can handle it. Both of them have been through hell and know the value of how precious things can be."

"I totally agree. Christa definitely needs that kind of love, reassurance. And Walker just needs something good in his life. A family of his own gives him a reason not to sink into that darkness."

Jacob squeezed me. "You're my reason."

I smiled up at him. "It's amazing to me how far we've come. From confused feelings to being married. All in this cabin. And here we are, stronger than ever."

Leaning forward, his soft lips pressed to my forehead. "You were always stronger than me, but that made me become a better man."

Shaking my head with a smile, I said, "Shut up and kiss me."

Chuckling, he pressed his warm lips to mine and I opened for him, his tongue slipping inside to dance with mine. Leaning into him, I cupped his face to pull him closer. Arms wrapping around me, he nudged me down so that I was laying on the couch, his warm body pressing down on mine.

This time, he took his time sliding off my clothes. Took his time running his lips and tongue over my body. Breathing hard, closing my eyes, I dug my nails into his scalp as his tongue flicked over my core, then stroked and sucked, lavishing me. On the upstroke, his tongue hitting my sweet spot, my hips bucked. He snaked an arm across my hips to hold me down as his teeth scraped over me. I let out a hoarse yell.

Looking down at him, I saw the line of his body. I'd removed his tank and had undone his jeans before he'd managed to pull away. Those jeans were low on his ass. And, boy, was that ass gorgeous. I'd never thought about it before but Jacob did not have a problem in that area. The thought of what that rounded pound of flesh would look like flexing as he thrust inside me had me going higher while his tongue and teeth did the rest.

"Oh, Jacob," I gasped, my body getting close to bursting apart in the sweetest way.

The moment he rolled his dark eyes up to meet mine and thrust two fingers into me while his tongue still played over me, I finally exploded. As I yelled out my pleasure, my nails scraped over Jacob's scalp, no doubt drawing blood. It didn't faze him. Instead, he just growled against me, the vibration prolonging my orgasm.

When I finally collapsed against the cushions, Jacob sensuously prowled up my body, shucking his jeans as he moved to settle on top of me. His weight was warm and heavy on top of me, but I loved it. He kept himself up just enough so that I could breathe as he positioned himself at my entrance.

As he pushed in slowly, we kept eye contact. And I realized it was the first time we'd ever done that. Usually his first thrust in was so intense that I generally threw my head back, eyes closed. This time, electricity sizzled between us as I felt his body slowly enter and rub against mine. My inner walls clenched with the leftovers of the previous orgasm, clutching at him, pulling him further into me.

On his elbows, he traced his thumbs over my cheekbones. "I love you so much. You're the perfect fit," he whispered.

I grinned. "Of course I am. I'm your soul mate. And you're mine."

Slowly, so slowly, he pulled out almost all the way before sliding back in. a shudder went through me as he hit the end of me. Going this slow, I felt every little nuance of him inside me, pulsing, jerking, his girth. Every little rub of his hot shaft against my walls. It was incredible to think that two people could be so connected.

I ran my hands over his hot skin. Every inch that I could reach, I caressed. No nails, just skin on skin. Lavishing him the way he did me. Those slow thrusts continued. Surprisingly, his body wasn't straining for more. He was in complete control, breathing heavy, heart pounding. The whole time he just made slow love to me. His lips continued their exploration of my skin. Lovingly, he smoothed his tongue over my breasts, slow and precise. No teeth nipping at me, just his lips sucking me into his warm wet mouth. Eventually, I found his rhythm and started meeting him thrust for delicious thrust, lifting my hips to meet his with a soft slap of flesh.

"So good," he breathed against my breast. His hot breath against the wetness he'd left behind had me arching, my nipples hardening even more for him.

Chuckling, he put his mouth back to work, making my pleasure meter fly up even more. His lips were a little rougher, letting me know he was about lose his hard won control. It made me proud to know that his loss of control was because of me. I made him hard, made him want to claim something with his body. I was the one he found release with. Always. And he was it for me as well.

Moaning as he did something sinful with his tongue on my breast, he thrust into me hard causing me to arch off the couch. He growled against my skin. Our finish was coming, fast. The build up was torture, the pressure in my body filling out my skin. It suddenly felt like my skin was shrinkwrap, getting smaller and smaller with every thrust of his hips into me.

Reaching between us, I hit that sweet spot of mine, getting the pressure to build more. Little flashes of electricity shot through me, igniting me.

Jacob must had felt it too because he roared as his control shattered. Hard thrust after erotically hard thrust, he pounded into me, hips jackhammering against me. The sounds echoing through the room was like silky chocolate to my ears. Our harsh breathing, the louder slapping of flesh on sweaty flesh.

"Oh, god, Jacob!" My free hand flew to his side, nails shredding his skin, until I moved it to the front of his hips, my fingers rubbing over him on his retreat. He was wet and slick with my pleasure, and hot from the blood pumping through his shaft. My touch on that shaft as he thrust hard and harder into me was his undoing.

Hissing between his teeth, he thrust one last time, so deep I could swear I felt him pass my navel, and jerked inside me, hot seed jetting into me. And that was my undoing. I flew apart with a scream, body milking him as fast and as long as possible.

When Jacob finally collapsed on top of me, we were a sweaty, shaky heap of flesh on the couch.

"I will never get tired of taking you," he whispered shakily.

My chuckle was just as shaky and tired. "I can live with that."

His own chuckle was cut off as he hissed and slid out of me. I was too tired to react to the sensation. Rolling onto his side, he took me with him and then pulled the throw off the back of the couch to wrap around us.

Sighing contentedly, I stroked his chest and snuggled into his warmth. "Perfect stress reliever."

He laughed again, the rumble vibrating in my ear.

"Absolutely."

"Jacob?"

"Hm?"

"You're perfect, too."

As he wrapped his arms around me, sleep started to suck at me. But not just sleep. It was the promise of actually resting. The hormones racing through my body negated all the stress and nerves, allowing me to sink into the warmth and safety of my mate.

"Sleep, baby. I'm here."

"I know. I love you.

"Love you, too."

It wasn't long before the crackle of the fireplace and the sound of his breathing sent me to dreamland.

**JPOV**

Nessie's mint and honey scent settled in my sinuses, trying to lull me back to sleep. But it didn't work. A pounding in my head kept it from happening. Groaning, I opened my eyes. The fire had died down to embers and weak light drifted through the part in the drapes. Dawn.

And the pounding wasn't in my head. It was on my front door. Nessie was curled up tight to the front of my body. Her hair was in tangles around her face, which was flushed, probably from being pressed to my chest all night. As gently as I could, I disentangled myself from her to hop over the back of the couch. There was no smooth way to do that. She flopped onto her back with a frown but pulled the covers up her waist. Her breasts were bare to the room. The air was cool and played over her, hardening her nipples. Holding back a dark chuckle, I moved the blanket up to her neck. She sighed.

Grabbing another blanket, I wrapped it around my waist as I went for the door. Caden was on the other side of it looking troubled. More snow had come but hadn't knocked the power out again. They'd gotten it fixed late last night thankfully.

At first, he looked irritated that I'd made him wait, and then those amber eyes saw the blanket and turned amused.

"Sorry for interrupting, but I need to talk to you." That heavily accented voice held all the amusement his eyes did.

I rolled my eyes. "All you interrupted was sleep. What's up?"

"I believe this needs to be discussed with clothes on. This is not just a hallo/goodbye type of conversation. Not to mention, I told Walker we'd help move his pack."

I looked back at Nessie. "I can't leave her today."

"I heard about the threat. Walker told me. You really trust this psychic?"

I sighed. "Werewolves and vampires exist. Why can't psychics? Hell, Alice is a vampire and psychic."

He made a push away gesture. "Alright, alright. You trust her. Fine. Just tell Ness to stay in the house while you help out. Or she can come with. We'll be there with her now that we know."

Cocking an eyebrow, I said, "Was that a jab?"

He shrugged. "We're here to help and we can't do that if we don't know what's going on. That's the reason you keep me around."

Now I glared at him. "You know damn well that's not why we keep you around. One, you keep Leah happy and off our asses. Two, this is your home now. Period. Not another smartass remark out of you." I rolled my eyes again while chuckled. "Let me go put Ness in bed and get dressed."

"I'm not freezing my ass off for you to have a round ten."

My turn to chuckle. "No. We, uh, ended up on the couch."

He made a face. "Remind me to sit on the floor the next time I visit."

Laughing darkly, I turned and started to close the door on him. "Don't worry. She'll clean it like she has a thousand times since we moved in. As well as the floor."

Before I closed the door, I caught his eyes bug out. Totally worth it. Going to the couch, I gently picked her up and carried her to bed. Before I placed her on the cold sheets, I laid down with her on top of me to warm up the bed so she wouldn't wake up. She needed her sleep. When I was confident the bed was warm enough, I tucked her into her side before writing her a quick note, leaving it on my pillow. Then, I went for the closet. Another tank, another pair of jeans, and some boots. I also grabbed my old riding jacket. Looking at it, I realized I missed the bike. I hadn't ridden that thing in years. It was tucked away in the Cullen garage with Bella's. Maybe after all this was over, I'd rev the old puppy up and take Ness for a ride. Maybe even look into buying a better bike.

Caden knocked on the door again, clearly impatient. Slipping the jacket on, I took the stairs two at a time and met Caden outside, locking the door behind me. Just in time, Adam and Derek showed up in wolf form.

"Keep an eye on her, guys."

Just like the last couple times they'd approached me, they kept low to the ground, eyes rolled up. They each rubbed against my legs and then took their posts. One at the front door, the other at the back door.

Sighing, I decided to just get used to it. The entire pack had been acting the same way since the news of me killing Nicolai and the story with it had gotten around.

"So, what's up, Caden?" I asked as we worked our way through the snow. It was already slushy, the temperature getting to where it usually was.

He frowned, thinking about something. "The trip to Denali. It can't wait."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you wanted to wait until Walker's pack was acclimated, but that will take too long. We've got to integrate them now and take them with us within the next couple days. Tristan might be healing enough to move. I broke his legs, but he's resourceful. Honestly, we've waited too long as it is. We should have gone the moment we found out."

Brows pulled low in concentration, I nodded. "Alright. We'll talk to Walker when we get there."

It didn't take long for the walk because we cut through the woods and the Cullens' property. Edward was leaning against a post on the porch, arms crossed.

"Hey, Edward."

He gave me a look. "We didn't mean to run you off, Jacob. We like the pack."

As he joined us in the yard, we shook hands.

"Don't worry about it. We didn't mean to take over your house. Just wish you would have said something."

Another look. "That's not how we meant Nessie to take it, either."

"Then, how did you mean it, Edward? Because that's what it seems like." I shook my head. "You know what? Don't worry about it. What's done is done. My house is pack HQ now, though they're reluctant to frequently show up. And we're moving Walker's pack today. Your land is yours once more."

For a long moment, Edward just stared at me. And then, "What would you say if we staged it that way for her think that's what we meant? Alice had a vision that was...off for her."

"What do you mean off?" I demanded with more hostility than necessary. I took a deep breath to calm down.

"For some reason the witnesses from last time are coming back. We don't know when or why."

The vampires. Carlisle's friends were coming back. Now, I understood.

"The Volturi?"

Edward shook his head. "Alice has been watching them closely. None of them have even thought in our direction. Only…"

I growled and stepped toward him. "Only what, Edward?"

"Only, Alice says Caius keeps disappearing," Bella's voice rang out from the porch.

"Disappearing?" Caden asked as Bella came to stand next to Edward.

Frowning, I said, "But that only happens when-"

Edward nodded. "When one of us is too close to werewolves. We completely disappear."

"Werewolves? She can't see around us?" Caden asked even though he had to know that by now.

All three of us shook our heads.

"That doesn't make sense. When Leah and I were over there, one of the packs had said that the vampires had made a deal to a truce between themselves and the werewolves years ago."

"If that's true, they broke the truce going after your family."

Carlisle was the next out of the house. "Caius was never happy with that truce. That's why when they were here last he tried to use our fraternizing with Jacob and the pack as a reason to go to war. But Aro said no not only because Alice had shown him he'd lose, but also because the news would get around by those of us who survived and the surviving Volturi would be hunted down."

"So, he's going after our allies."

"Possibly," Carlisle conceded carefully.

As Caden began foaming at the mouth, I held up my hands. "Ok, ok. Let's get back to the problem at hand." I looked at Carlisle. "Your friends are coming back and we don't know why."

"Could be the Volturi is targeting them, too," Bella suggested.

"I've been trying to find Kate and the others, but they've disappeared, too." Alice and Jasper joined us outside. A big family reunion.

"Completely, or are you seeing bits and pieces?" I asked.

She sighed. "Bits and pieces I suppose. I'll get the briefest glimpse."

The clearing went silent as we all went into thinking mode.

"Alright, let's assume that the Volturi is grabbing our allies. Jane didn't know where the Denalis were, remember? Nicolai told Walker that. So maybe they're staying close to a pack of wolves and that's why you can't see them. Carlisle, is Aro sticking to the truce? Is he that kind of guy?"

Carlisle mulled it over. "Yes. He'll stick to the truce."

"Then let's assume Caius is going behind Aro's back. If Caius somehow figured out that Alice can't see the wolves, then maybe he's using that as a way to make his decisions before blanking his thoughts and going back to the others where he can be watched."

Edward gave me an appraising look. "That actually makes sense."

"So, we should go to Aro and say something," Bella said.

The rest of the Cullens shook their heads.

"Why?" Bella asked.

"If we approach Aro now, Caius will end whoever he has in his possession," Edward explained. "We have no proof. What we need is Jane to come back. If she comes back, it's proof that someone high in the Volturi gave her orders. And it would be pretty clear who that is. Although she plays the part of Aro's pet, she really belongs to Caius. That's the brother she supports."

I nodded. "Ok. I'm going to talk to Walker and get the packs ready to head up north. We really need to know if Tristan or the Denalis are up there." I turned to Edward. "Why didn't you say anything about Caius disappearing?"

Alice answered before Edward could. "Because I didn't realize that's what was happening until I tried to see the Denalis."

Before anybody could say anything else, the trees rustled. Walker and Christa walked through the shrubs. Haleigh was in Christa's arms. Her grin was infectious and could be seen a mile away. Her head was cuddled into Christa's neck. Walker came forward to shake my hand.

"Hey, man. Congrats," I told them.

"Thanks," he said grinning.

Edward listened for a moment before turning to them. "A child and a marriage. Congratulations is indeed in order." He shook hands with Walker and gave a warm smile to Christa and Haleigh.

Haleigh's smile had diminished.

"It's ok, sweetie," Christa said. "These vampires are friends. They're family. You can trust them with anything."

Silently, she waved, waggling her fingers. I waved and smiled at her.

"Hey, Haleigh. How ya doin'?" I asked softly reaching forward to tickle her cheek.

She smiled at me, almost like she couldn't help herself. I pointed to Edward.

"That's my father-in-law, Nessie's daddy." Pointed to Bella. "And that's Nessie's mommy. They're good friends of mine."

Smiling a little, she waved at them. They smiled back at her. I introduced each vampire and Caden, and as I did, she relaxed a little more. Her smile became bigger and bigger as she realized that the people she trusted also trusted the vampires.

"So, what are we doing out here?" Walker asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Having an enlightening conversation at dawn," Caden said dryly.

I shot him a glare, and then looked to Walker with an urgent look. "We need to get up to Denali ASAP. We'll move your wolves, and then we need to go over those plans."

Walker took the urgency for what it was. He nodded. "Sure. You'll explain this little get-together later, right?"

"Right."

"Good deal. Thanks for letting us use the truck. It helps out a lot."

"Not a problem, man. That's what it's for."

"Would you mind some help?" Edward asked. "We have a couple trucks that could be useful."

I looked to Walker. "Think your wolves could handle the vamps?"

He shrugged. "Might as well try. Especially since we're going to start up a plan to use one of the wolves' land to build some cabins outside of town. I already told them I'm not leaving Forks. And you need to meet them as well. I told them that I trust you and they need to listen to you the way they'd listen to me."

"Why would you tell them that?"

"Because it's the truth. I'm following you in this war. That means if I'm not around, they need someone else to turn to. Bianca isn't made for pack leader. Nobody else in that pack is."

Reaching out, I gripped his shoulder. "I'll see to them when you need me to."

"Thanks. Now what do you say we get to moving them?"

"Wait a second," Edward said, stepping up to Walker. "We want you to know that we don't mind them staying."

He smirked. "Don't get all emotional on me. I want them closer to us anyway until we get those cabins built. I can keep a better eye on them."

Edward nodded. "I suppose I can understand that. We were just telling Jacob that some friends of ours might be visiting soon. If that's the case, we didn't want any conflicts."

Walker slapped him on the back. "You could have just said so, man." He jerked his head in the direction that they came from. "Come on. Let's get this show on the road."

An hour or so later, the Cullens, Caden, and I were standing at the edge of camp. Walker had taken Haleigh who had fallen asleep to become dead weight. He was in the process of introducing us to the pack. The one, Malik, that he'd told me and Nessie about was surrounded by six huge guys. Not as tall as me, but a couple of them had some muscle like Emmett and Derek. He didn't look all that dangerous...until you looked in his eyes. The way he watched Haleigh and licked his lips. Nothing sexual, which left...I shuddered. The urge to kill the guy made my fists clench. The wolf in me prowled in my head, snarling and raising his hackles. Why the hell did Walker leave him alive? More than likely for information.

All the wolves except for Malik and his guards came to greet us, shaking our hands. Some were more skittish of the vampires than others. But what got me was the kids. None of them were as young as Haleigh, but they all had the eyes of adults. They'd probably seen and done things that had aged them at least five years older than they actually were. One of them, the oldest, Xavier, gave me direct eye contact and a firm handshake. I liked him instantly. Walker had introduced him and talked about training him to fight so that he could guard the other kids better until they were old enough to train. Jasper and I had shared a look and nod. Why not?

"So, Xavier," I said a while later, tossing some sleeping bags into the back of the truck. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen, sir," he answered immediately, sliding a cooler over the tailgate.

I shook my head. "Oh, no. Don't start with the 'sir' crap. Just call me Jacob or Jake. Or, hell, even Black will work."

He nodded. "Sixteen. I'm sixteen."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Good age. I was that age when I phased for the first time."

"What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Not being infected. A smooth shift, er, phase."

"Oh, um, well, I don't know what it's like to be infected, but the shifting part...I must say we have it much easier than you guys do. At first it took heavy emotion, but after a while, it's just a thought, a command of the brain."

He laughed humorlessly. "Being infected is like having another being forced into your body. At first, both of you are confused. And then, it's a fight just to be able to stay conscious, to not let that other presence take over entirely. I was born human. My mom, dad, and I were infected after I was born, so we're different than the other families here. It was so hard not to just fall to the ground and shift. After a while, you come to an agreement with that presence because you're both sick of fighting. It's a negotiation with your own self. And the shifting itself?" He shook his head. "Hurts like a mother every freaking time. All your bones break at once, your skin rips, muscles tear. And then you get molded back together in a shape that you know you're not supposed to be in."

Sympathy flooded me as I gripped his shoulder. "Don't worry. Caden's a seasoned alpha male. If you want, we'll get you to talk to him, see if he can help you out."

He smiled. "Thanks. We have a bunch of dominant males but not alphas. Otherwise Edmund would have been taken out a long time ago and we wouldn't be here." He looked out to the camp where Haleigh was dancing around the fire while other females watched her. "But I'm glad that Walker came around, that he killed Edmund. I am sorry for what Edmund had done to him. He didn't deserve it." He grinned as Haleigh blew him a kiss. "Haleigh's happy, really happy. I've never seen her like that since she's been with us. Walker and Christa are good for us."

I watched Haleigh, too. She was skipping and dancing with her doll, laughing. Two nights in a caring home had changed her.

"Yeah, they are. They're good people. My pack and I will also help when needed. Never hesitate if Walker's not around. My second, Seth, and I will do whatever we can. My mate, too. Her name is Nessie. The Cullens as well. They'll be able to get in touch with any of us."

He nodded. "Good to know."

"Come on. This truck is full. Take it down with me."

He grinned, a sparkle in his eyes. Something made me think this kid didn't really have any males that he looked up to or any that tried to interact with him.

"Can I drive?"

I gave him the eyebrow. "License?"

Shoulder slumping her shook his head.

"Tell ya what, once things calm down, I'll teach you how to drive. I even have a bike."

What do ya know, he perked right back up. "Really?"

"Really."

"That's so awesome!" Before I knew it, he threw his arms around me. "Thank you!"

He whooped all the way around the truck to the passenger's side. As I hopped into the driver's side, I made a promise to myself that I'd spend some time with him, take him under my wing. Walker had enough going on with Haleigh.

On the way down to the spot where we were moving the pack, he watched everything I did behind the wheel. When he started asking me mechanical questions and I answered them, his eyes lit up even more.

Seemed like I'd be teaching this kid more than just how to drive.

**RPOV**

I shivered. And that was what woke me up all the way. I hadn't woken up cold since Jacob had stopped his weekly meetings with the Makah rez, which meant he wasn't in the bed with me. Stretching, my arm landing on empty bed with a thunk confirmed that. Leaning up on my elbows, I saw the fire going. Dying, but still there. He must have moved me to the bed after last night. Looking over to his side, I saw a note.

_Ness,_

_Good morning, baby. Sorry I wasn't there when you woke up, but Caden needed to talk to me and Walker needs help moving the pack._

_I want you to stay in the house today. Adam and Derek are outside. You're safe. Do NOT go near the river. There can be a first time for Cricket to be wrong later, not this time._

_I love you._

_Your Husband._

Clutching the note to my chest, I grinned. I loved that man. I truly did.

Getting out of bed, I went for the shower. My muscles were tight from laying on the couch all night. No doubt Jacob had moved me this morning before he left. The hot shower worked wonders. The power must have been back on because I didn't hear the rumble of the generator.

After getting dressed, I went up to the kitchen still towel-drying my hair. Maybe it was time to cut some of it off, maybe a new style. The drying time was getting a bit ridiculous.

Since Jacob wasn't here, I just settled with a bagel and some oatmeal for breakfast as well as a glass of orange juice. Since I was calmer and significantly less stressed after last night, I decided to work on the food plans for the week. Pulling my hair up into a messy knot, I turned on my iPod docking station and then cuddled up on the couch with a mug of tea.

Before I could even get started, however, there was growling and yipping from outside. Getting up, I put on my boots. I had an oversize sweater on that hung off one shoulder so I donned my jacket as well before peeking outside. More snow had fallen and somebody had scraped a lot of it off the porch.

Walking outside, I managed to catch a glimpse of both Adam and Derek darting into the woods yipping as they went. But movement to the right caught my eye. Dark hair and a black cloak swirled as someone took off into the woods. The boys were heading north, but this figure was heading southeast toward the big house.

Darting into the house, I grabbed my cell phone. After locking the door, I leapt off the porch and went after whoever it was. The air was cold as it shot down my lungs and puffed out in front of me, but the temperature was rising, turning the snow to slush. Once I got deep enough into the woods, the snow was no more. Shrubs and roots threatened to trip me, but ever since I'd been on a proper hunting schedule, my vampire speed was intact. Everything was sharp defined and easily avoided.

Eventually, I caught up enough that whoever it was wasn't too far ahead. The heavy cloak and dress slowed them down, letting me know it was a female. But not Jane. Not blonde.

We ran through the woods behind the big house, and something about it tugged at my gut but I couldn't remember. All I could see was my prey, the vampire I was chasing. I knew it was a vampire from the scent that I was running through.

The river was coming up fast, but the female was slowing down. Not to taunt me, but more like it wasn't a choice. Heavy breaths reached my ears. Vampires didn't need to breathe. If she was breathing, she was hurt.

Suddenly, I was jerked down, my foot tangled with a root. Throwing out my hands, I managed to avoid face-planting into the frozen dirt.

"Oof," I muttered as I popped back up. That little bit of time was enough for the female to hide. I knew I was close to the river and the camp because I could hear the rumble of truck engines and the bubbling of the water.

Pausing, I closed my eyes and lifted my nose to the breeze. The scent that I could only consider pain drifted over from in front of me and to the right. There was a rather large tree at the bank of the river.

I eased over to it, trying not to step on anything noisy. Tentatively, I rounded the tree.

And came face to face with the scariest man I'd ever seen.

"Well, well, well," he said in a growl. His nostrils flared. "Too bad. Such a pretty piece, but I can smell the rankness of vampire. The sweetness of human. Yet another abomination."

I backpedaled as fast as I dared, remembering Tristan. If I ended up on the ground, I was as good as dead, even if I screamed. Those eyes flashed amber, the same as Caden's, but a lot colder. Shaved head. Scars all over. He was a figment of nightmares everywhere.

"Please, tell me you'll just kill me," I said with as much bravado as I could. "The raping game is getting a little old."

He sneered. "Someone tried to rape you?"

I crossed my arms over my stomach. "Gee, thanks for the compliment, but yeah. Tristan? He's been dying for a go at me."

He snarled. "That's a lie!"

I shrank back in the face of that rage but I nodded. "Yeah, he did. I swear it."

"Shut up!" He advanced on me, eyes enraged. "Shut your mouth!"

He lunged for me and my feet tangled in the shrubs. Before I fell, though, something hard like a steel rod kept me up. A growl echoed in my ears as an arm swung up to meet the man's downward swing. The black cloak swished around me as the female twisted that arm and snapped it with a resounding crack. The man roared and swiped at her with the other hand. He got her over the shoulder. And that was it for her. She went down hard, gripping the wound.

Bleeding and broken, the werewolf advanced on me, snarling. I was too slow to see his arm whip out because I'd been watching his teeth snapping their way closer. His fingers gripped my neck and hauled me off the ground. Air was hard to come by as his grip tightened. I kicked my feet but the jerky movement caused pain to sear through my neck and body. I dug my nails into his wrist, drawing blood.

As my vision winked in and out, I saw fur start to flow over his lengthening face. He was shifting...with his hands on me.

Something flashed in front of my eyes followed by the sounds of a series of clicks. I'd heard the sound before but I couldn't place it right that moment. There was a sizzle and the smell of something burning before the guy yelled, dropped me, and shook his arm like he was trying to get something off.

"Sorry, Sasquatch, but only the key can fix your little problem." That voice. I recognized it.

Sliding down the tree, I gasped in as much air as I could possibly hold while the wolf spun around with another roar. When my vision cleared enough, I saw that a pair of handcuffs were swinging from that wrist, the skin bubbling and boiling as if it were burning. Silver. The Children of the Moon were allergic to silver. I couldn't see who had done it because he was so big. I just couldn't seem to care who it was. I was very close to passing out despite the air sawing in and out of my body.

"Ah, ah, ah. No grabbing." Another sizzle and another yell. "Go down like a good boy." The man went down to his knees. Auburn and black hair was the first thing I saw over his head. My vision was still blurry, air searing my windpipe and lungs as I fought to breathe.

Then the distinctive click of a gun sounded.

"That is filled with silver bullets so no funny business, Balto. Actually, this is Kujo. I believe we owe Pongo an apology."

Cricket. And Trey.

He was very steadily pointing a gun at the werewolf. It looked like he knew what he was doing with it. Arm steady. Breathing even. Eyes clear.

Unfortunately, the sound of people running through the woods managed to distract him. The werewolf took advantage of that, swiping his legs out to trip Cricket. As he pushed off from the ground, he shouldered Trey and ran, clutching his arm as he went.

I relaxed.

And proceeded to pass out.

**WalkerPOV**

"Yeah, you can set up however you want. Of course I don't have specifics," I told Bianca over the phone. There was a beep from my phone indicating another call. Holding the phone away from my ear I saw that it was Jacob. "Hold on, Bianca. Let me call you back." Hanging up, I answered Jacob. "Hey, what's up?"

"Is Nessie with you?"

He sounded panicked.

"I haven't seen her." My eyes scanned the nearly empty clearing. There were only a couple tents left up and most of the pack was down at the new site. "No, man, I don't see her. Why?"

"She's not at home. I stopped in to grab something and she's not here. I told her to stay here today just in case. Adam and Derek didn't see her leave."

"Walker! Walker!" someone called from across the clearing.

"Ok, look. I'll search the area. We'll find her, Jake."

"Daddy!" that someone yelled again, jerking on my wrist. "Daddy!"

Looking down, I found Haleigh staring at me with scared eyes. She'd just called me daddy.

"What is it, baby girl?" I asked before I could let the name affect me.

"What's going on?" Jacob demanded.

She tugged on my arm. "Come look, come look!"

Though there was true fear in her eyes, she pointed and led me just far enough that I could see six men sprawled out over the grass. Malik's guards.

I put the phone back to my ear as everything fell into place. "Jacob, it's Malik. Malik's the one to attack her. I gotta go."

"Walker! Don't you dare-"

There was a roar and screech of tires as I hung up the phone. I knelt down in front of Haleigh.

"Go find Christa. Right now. Run."

Without a fight, she took off, racing across the clearing toward the trucks where Christa was packing up. I raced into the woods but there were too many scents to decipher. To my right, a roar echoed through the trees. Grunts and yells followed. Running, I flew through the trees, branches reaching out to grab me, slap at me. I didn't stop. If anything happened to Nessie the pack would be devastated as would the Cullens. And I wouldn't be too happy either.

There was a wall of shrubs in front of me. Low voices on the other side. Slaps and grunts, heavy pounding footsteps, and then silence.

Right before I broke through, I heard. "Nessie? Nessie, wake up. Come on. Remember what I said? You die, I'll be pissed. Don't make me give you mouth-to-mouth."

Bursting through the wall of leaves, I found myself staring at the wrong end of a gun barrel. The guy holding it was about my age and had a very steady hand.

I held my hands up and froze. "Whoa, man. I'm a friend."

"Not mine," he said, voice low.

Glancing over, I saw a girl cradling Nessie in her lap. Ness was unconscious, bruises starting to darken into a grotesque necklace around her throat. Oh, man. Jake was gonna go apeshit. On the other side of them, a pale figure with dark hair and black clothing was sitting on the ground, back against the tree. I could smell it from here. Vampire.

"Where's Malik?" I asked calmly.

"You mean the bastard that did this?" the girl demanded. "He took off with a broken arm. Hello? Can we worry about the unconscious girl here?"

"Is she breathing?"

The girl leaned over. "Yeah." And then she put two fingers to Nessie's wrist. "Pulse is strong. I think she might have hyperventilated after he let her go." Her eyes flipped up to me before going to the guy. "Put it down. He won't hurt us."

Behind me, there was another rustle. Fortunately, the gun left me. I put my hands down. Unfortunately, it was now swinging between Edward and Carlisle.

"Easy. They're friends, too. They're Nessie's family. One is a doctor. Let him get to her."

After a couple heartbeats, he lowered the gun. Edward was the first to reach his daughter, gently taking her from the girl's arms. As he gathered his daughter into his arms, he stared at the other girl. She was quite striking with auburn hair mixed with black, and violet-blue eyes.

Carlisle knelt down to check Ness the same way the girl had. Apparently he was satisfied that she was ok because he nodded and stroked her forehead.

"I think you're right," he said to the girl. "She probably hyperventilated from her body trying to get as much oxygen as it could in too little amount of time. Edward, let's get her to the house. I just want to monitor her until she wakes up."

The snarl of a truck's engine got close, probably the edge of the clearing, as close to the woods as it could get. The door slammed and I heard Jacob call for me and Nessie.

"Over here!" I called.

Moments later, he crashed through the bushes, breathing hard, eyes wild. Once those frantic eyes landed on her, he moved to take her limp body from Edward.

"What happened?" he choked out, gently brushing a finger over those bruises.

"Malik took out his guards. Attacked her." I pointed at the guy and girl. "I'm assuming these two helped chase him off."

Jacob glanced at them before doing a double-take. "Cricket? Trey?"

She waved with a small smile. "Hey, Kujo."

"What happened?" he asked her.

I gaped. "You know them?"

Before she could answer, Edward broke in. "I know you want answers, Jacob, but...who is this?"

He was looking down at the vampire. I walked around to see that it was a female with dark hair and eyes, pale skin...with chunks missing from her shoulder. There was a dark cloak wrapped around her. As she stared up at us, her eyes were filled with pain.

Behind us, there was a weak cough followed by a harsh breath and more coughing.

"Ness, it's ok, baby. I got you," Jacob said.

Nessie blinked rapidly, throat working, chest heaving.

"I'm ok," she rasped out. She smiled up at Jacob weakly. "I'm good." And then her gaze moved over to us, and the woman at our feet. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god. Abigail." She struggled to get out of Jacob's grasp.

"You know her?" That's all I seemed to be asking.

Nessie didn't have the energy to talk so she just looked at Edward. He nodded.

"She was with Jane when the cabin burned down. She's the one who only partially scrubbed their memories."

"I take it that's before my time," I said.

Edward nodded. "Yes. It is." He knelt in front of Abigail. "Are you still with Jane?"

Swallowing hard, she shook her head. "Tortured me. Starved me."

"Her eyes are black, Edward," Carlisle said. "And the werewolf hurt her."

"She's telling the truth," Edward said. "We have some human blood that we took from the hospital. You can drink that to-"

She shook her head. "No. No more human blood. I was vegetarian before Aro forced me to join the Volturi. Like you."

He shared a look with Jacob and Carlisle before nodding. "Ok. We'll hunt you something, though human blood will make you heal faster."

Again, she shook her head. "No."

"Ok. Emmett," he called.

A moment later, Emmett was standing with us between the trees. He took one look at his niece and a growl left him.

"I'm ok, Uncle Emmett," she rasped before wincing.

Stepping over to her and Jacob, he stroked her cheek. "You've gotta quit scaring us like that."

"Sorry."

Abigail suddenly gripped Edward's arm. "They stripped me of my gift."

Everybody froze.

"What?" he asked her.

"They stripped me of my gift. I can no longer scrub one's mind."

"How?"

She shook her head. "A new vampire with a gift. Extremely powerful. He can strip any vampire's gift. But the only way he can strip a shield is by touch. I heard him talking."

"My wife," he said.

She nodded. "Protect her. Closely."

Carlisle knelt down to touch her shoulder. "Ok. Enough talk. Emmett, get her to the house. She needs to feed. Jacob, get Nessie to the house as well. I want to keep her for observation only for a couple hours and then you can take her home."

"Carlisle," Nessie started.

He pegged her with a stare. "No. You're going up to the house."

Closing her mouth, she nodded and cuddled closer to Jacob, who held her tightly.

Eventually, we all made it out of the woods. When I went to check on the guards, I only found five. A bad thought formed in my mind while I checked pulses. Thankfully, they were all alive.

But only one of them was awake and I knew his name.

"Eric, what happened?"

He shook his head as if trying to clear it. "Malik and Gavin attacked us."

"Shit," I said as I offered him a hand up.

"Thanks."

Looking over my shoulder, I found the Cullens trooping over the grass. "Carlisle, can you come check on the guys, please?"

Eric tensed.

"It's ok. He's cool. If it'll make you feel better, watch over him while he sees to the rest of them."

He nodded as Carlisle knelt down and opened his bag.

"Thanks, Carlisle."

"Not a problem."

Turning around, I found Christa standing at the opposite edge of the clearing. Haleigh struggled in her grasp before Christa finally let her go. She ran straight for me, hair flying out behind her like a cape.

"Walker!" she yelled as she flew into my arms. Apparently, the "daddy" had just been to get my attention. But I damn sure wasn't going to forget it.

"Hey, baby girl," I whispered as she buried her face into my neck. "It's ok. He's not going to hurt you. In fact, he went away."

"Is Miss Nessie ok?" she whimpered.

I nodded and stroked her hair down her back. "Yeah. Yeah, she's ok."

"I wanna go home." I recognized the pout in her voice.

"I know, baby, I know. But we still have more moving to do."

"No," she whined.

"Haleigh, sweetheart, it's ok. Why don't you lay down in one of the trucks?"

Her arms and legs tightened around me. "No!"

"Ok, ok. Shhh."

I just rocked her while Christa made her way to us.

"Hey."

Turning around, I saw Nessie and Jacob. The two humans were standing behind them, heads close together, whispering.

Jacob was worrying over her while she stood by herself and smiled at us.

Haleigh turned her head just enough to be able to see Nessie. "Are you ok, Miss Nessie?" she asked.

The alpha female nodded. "Yeah, I'm ok," she rasped out. "Just a little sore. But hey, I was going to go watch movies and drink hot chocolate. Would you like to come with me?"

Haleigh pulled back to look at me as if asking permission. I nodded. That would be perfect so that I could get this move done and get my family home. Haleigh would be safe at the Cullen house while we finished up.

She looked at Nessie, and nodded. In her way, she reached out suddenly so that Nessie was forced to catch her. Not once did Ness make a pained noise or even flinch as she tucked Haleigh into her arms. Over her head, Nessie winked at me.

"Thanks," Christa said, stepping into me.

"Not a problem," Jacob rushed out. "Come on. Let's get you two where it's warm." He looked over his shoulder at me. "You mind if I sit the rest out?"

Before I could say anything, Nessie shot him a glare. "You are going to finish helping."

He gave her a look. "Nessie,-"

"Jacob Black, I am fine. Cricket predicted this and I was the idiot who left the house. The best thing to do is to carry on with the day. Alarming people with something like this won't help. Worrying over me will give you an aneurysm. I am ok. Keep helping them." Her voice was shot by the end.

He gritted his teeth, nostrils flaring, and glanced down at Haleigh. "Fine," he managed to grit out as he opened the passenger door to the truck and helped them in. He shot me a look as he hopped into the truck while the two humans did the same. I nodded and gave him a salute.

"What happened?" Christa asked as they drove off.

"Malik and one of his guards attacked the rest. Nessie was chasing Abigail and ended up running into him. The two humans showed up and somehow helped." I shook my head. "I don't know. It's all very confusing right now."

"So, Nessie's really ok?"

I nodded. "Seems like it. She was passed out when I got there, but woke up after Jacob picked her up."

Wrapping her arms around me, she laid her head on my shoulder. "Power of the imprint. What's going to happen with Malik and his accomplice?"

I shrugged. "I don't know where they went. Malik was injured from what I gathered. Nessie was right. No sense in worrying everyone. They'll figure out that he's gone, but we don't have to tell them how far off the deep end he was. Although they know from what he did to me."

She sighed. "I think I agree with Haleigh. I just wanna go home."

I kissed her forehead. "We're almost done. And Haleigh is safe at the Cullen place."

"I want you tonight."

Pulling back, I stared at her in surprise.

"What? I've been dying to have you again. We'll just tell Haleigh to stay in her room tonight."

Leaning down, I kissed her lips. "We'll see what we can do. I want you, too."

**JPOV**

Angry. That word really didn't cover what I was feeling. Rage didn't either as I watched the bruises on my wife's neck darken. I knew I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance. But that would have undermined Walker's authority, something I wasn't willing to do.

"Cricket, Trey, one of you better start talking. What happened?" I demanded. Haleigh shrank into Nessie's arms. Nessie glared at me.

"I got a vision. It wasn't until later that I realized I needed to be there. So I was there. I wasn't counting on the vampire of course. But hey, the woman saved your woman's life so be grateful. And then Trey and I showed up to save everybody. How's that for an explanation?"

My teeth gnashed together. "What happened to my wife's neck?"

"Oh, that," Cricket said. "Dude just picked her up. That's it. Nothing else. Her neck was a handle. Luckily, the cuffs were made of silver. Burned him. He let her go." She sighed, losing the attitude. "Look, she passed out from hyperventilating. She's fine. She'd only been out for like five minutes. And she was breathing. I made sure of it."

"I am sitting right here," Nessie said. Her voice sounded like sandpaper.

"Yes, but you don't need to be talking."

She rolled her eyes.

Before I was ready, we made it to the Cullen garage. Running around, I helped Nessie and Haleigh out of the truck. Trey and Cricket inched toward the door that led to the woods.

"Where do you think you're going?" I demanded not looking at them.

They gaped at each other.

"Oh, we just thought we'd head back to our treehouse."

"Forget it. You're staying with us."

"I agreed to no such thing."

"Too bad." I pinned them with a glare. "Get your a-butts inside. Now."

Haleigh giggled into Nessie's hair.

"Look," Cricket started.

"Nessie?" Alice's voice chimed through the air. A moment later she walked through the garage door with Jasper in tow. When she saw Nessie, she smiled. "Hey, you. We heard what happened. Are you ok?"

Nessie nodded. "Yeah. I'm good. I could use some tea though. Throat hurts."

Alice opened her mouth but Cricket filled the silence.

"Alice? Mary Alice?"

We all turned to her.

She paled out, eyes wide, looking like she'd seen a ghost.

And for the first time, Alice saw her. Her own eyes widened. "Brigette?" she gasped out.

"You know me?"

Alice let go of Jasper to step forward slowly. "Your mother is my niece. How-how is this…"

It wasn't often we got to see Alice stutter.

"You're my great-aunt." The tears started rolling as she reached out to play over Alice's hair and face. "I've been looking for you." And then she threw herself into Alice's arms. Her voice was muffled when she said, "I just didn't think I'd find you alive."

Nessie stepped into my side looking as if she were about to cry.

Alice carefully wrapped her arms around Cricket. "But why...how...I don't understand."

"I get visions, too," Cricket said brokenly. "I have for years. Mom told me about a woman in the family who was a freak like me, her aunt that she never met. So I did research. And then my visions led me to Nessie, who led me to you." She pulled back and wiped under her eyes. "Oh my god, I can't believe this is actually happening. So, you're a vampire."

Alice just stood there, looking shocked. Jasper came up behind her, touching her elbow. A wave of calm flowed throughout the room. Shaking her head, Alice blinked.

"Maybe we should take this conversation inside," I suggested. "It's cold out here for the humans and little girls."

On the way to the house, Alice seemed to warm up to the idea that her great-niece was here with her, and knew who she was.

She'd wrapped Cricket's arm through hers. "Yes, I am a vampire. Years ago, I researched myself and found my niece, your mother. I didn't remember my life before becoming a vampire and I needed to know. I knew about you, even checked in on you. But...you have visions?"

Cricket nodded. "But only to lead me to something that my heart truly desires. And this time it was to find answers about my family. My visions always direct me the roundabout way for some reason. I think this time it was so I could meet Nessie and Jake." Reaching back, she grabbed Trey's hand. "And he was also one of my heart's true desires, true love. Fate gave me him."

Alice laughed and motioned to Jasper who was following behind. "That's Jasper. He's mine."

Cricket smiled, eyes filling with tears as we made inside. "Oh my gosh, I have so much to ask you."

Alice stroked her hair. "Are you alone?"

Cricket's face sobered a little as she nodded. "Yeah. I ran away. Mom doesn't miss me. The entire family thinks I'm a freak. That's why I came to find answers about you. I had to know my heritage."

Alice actually took a deep breath. "Well, now that you're here and part of the world of freaks, you'll stay here. I'm sure Carlisle wouldn't mind. Although, we don't really have an extra bedroom anymore."

"They can stay with us until something else is figured out," I chimed in. Nessie gave me an approving look.

Cricket looked like she was going to object.

I pointed a finger at her. "You say one word in the direction of 'no, thank you' and I will hunt you down in that treehouse and drag you out. Don't think I don't know about that."

"Treehouse?" Alice gave them an incredulous look. "Absolutely not. No niece of mine is staying in a_ treehouse._"

"There's the Alice we all know and love," Nessie said with a chuckle that turned into a wince. But her voice was getting stronger. "If you'll excuse me, I have some tea and hot chocolate to make." She leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss me. "Go help Walker. We'll be fine."

I sighed. "You are the most infuriating woman."

"I know. We can fight those people settled. The temperature is supposed to drop again. They need to be warm and cozy before that happens."

"Alright, but you and I are having a talk tonight. Don't think you're getting off easy."

She rolled her eyes. "Well duh."

"Miss Nessie, come on! Hot chocolate!"

We both chuckled as Haleigh pulled Ness in the direction of the kitchen. Before she was pulled completely out of my range, I gave her another kiss.

I smiled over at Alice and Cricket. "I'm glad you found what you were after. Now maybe you can get a break from those visions."

Cricket shook her head. "I doubt it. After today, I know what I really want."

"What is that?"

"Safety."

Sighing again, I said," Well, maybe those visions will help us out. But for now, I have to help finish moving the pack. I'll see you guys later. If anything changes, let me know."

"No problem, Kujo," she yelled after me as I walked out the door.

Ness was right. The temperature was dropping.

I didn't like leaving her here. I didn't like anything that had happened today. But one thing was for sure, Ness was strong. A year or so ago, she'd have been having hysterics. Now, she was smiling and entertaining a six year old little girl. If she could be strong and push me out the door, then I could be strong enough to let her hold that strength and finish what I'd started in helping the others. But I definitely would be having the "order" talk with her. She needed to follow mine, dammit.

"Are you coming? We need these tents."

Looking down, I found Xavier leaning against the truck, arms crossed over his chest.

"You have a strong mate. Not many could stand up to Malik and survive. She'll be ok. Although I would like to meet her when she's feeling better."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're right. She is strong. When she's better, I'll introduce you, let her cook for you. You may never leave our house."

Chuckling, he climbed into the truck. "None of the pack have ever had a home-cooked meal before, so I'd be interested to know what one tastes like."

"Oh, we'll fix that," I promised as I pulled away from the house. "We will definitely fix that."

**RPOV**

Tenderly, I poked at the bruises on my neck. If I hunted tonight, they'd heal by tomorrow. But I really didn't think Jacob's temper would allow that. If he found out I left another place he told me to stay in, I'd probably get the full force of his alpha side. A side that I never wanted aimed at me. It was his most aggressive, and scary, nature.

There was a small knock on the bathroom door. "Miss Nessie? The movie is ready."

"Alright, sweetie. I'm on my way out."

She'd chosen The Aristocats today. One of my favorites. I knew the damn thing by heart, french accents and all. Grabbing my mug of mint tea, I made my way out to find Haleigh holding her hand out to me. I took it so she could lead me to the couch.

"You sit down. Mr. Jacob wants you all better." She pushed at my legs until I complied.

I couldn't help my laugh. "Ok. I'm sitting down. Now what?"

She gave me a very stern look, her hands on her hips. "Watch the movie and drink tea. I will call Miss Alice if you need anymore."

I gave her a little salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Aunt Alice and Cricket were tucked into a corner going through everything that Alice had dug up on her past and family. Smiling at them, their two heads pressed together, I was so happy for them. Aunt Alice had always wanted to have a slice of her past with her, some memory, anything. And now, her niece had sought her out for answers even though Cricket had expected to research Alice in a library seeing as how she'd be dead right now.

Trey was rummaging through Uncle Emmett's game collection and eyeing Uncle Jasper's chess set before Uncle Jasper caught him looking. He nodded his head in that direction and Trey lit up, sitting down on one side of the board. Those two would definitely get along.

Carlisle was upstairs with Abigail after getting back from the clearing. Adam and Derek had drained a deer of blood and brought it in for her. Both had apologized profusely for leaving me, letting me go off. I'd told them to shut up because I'd known better and still gone out anyway.

As Haleigh snuggled into my side and the movie started, the front door opened and closed before Shelby entered the living room with Brayden in her arms. She looked frantic before darting over to me.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" she demanded.

I nodded, throat a little tight. "Yeah, I'm good. Just some drama as usual."

"Seriously, you could use a little less of that," she said as she settled in next to me, cradling a sleeping Brayden.

I chuckled. "I'm alpha female. Something tells me that's not going to happen any time soon."

Haleigh craned her neck, looking at Brayden.

"Would you like to say hi?" I asked.

She nodded. Shelby was new to her so she wouldn't speak that much yet. Lifting my arms up, I patted my lap. Taking the hint, she crawled over my legs and just stared at the baby.

"Hi," Shelby said with a smile.

I stroked Haleigh's hair when she pulled back a little. "It's ok. She's my best friend. Her name is Shelby. And the baby's name is Brayden."

She looked up at me questioningly. "Bray...den?"

I nodded. "That's it. Brayden."

She giggled, looking back at him. "Hi, Bray...den." Reaching out, she booped his nose and looked back at me with a grin. "He's sleeping." She put her finger to her lips. "Shhh."

I nodded. "That's right. Shhh." Picking her up around the middle, I sat her down in my lap so that my arms were framing her and her back was to my front. "Let's watch the movie, ok?"

Leaning back against me, she nodded. Throughout the movie, she would glance over every now and then. When she did, she'd pat his leg gently, and then go back to watching the movie.

With her happy energy near me, I was feeling much better, much lighter. And more ok than I thought I should after nearly being strangled to death. I just couldn't bring myself to be scared when I though that it could just as easily have been her neck in his grasp. There was just no way that was acceptable.

I'd take me being strangled over anything ever happening to one of these children. They were too precious, too innocent.

There was no question that I'd lay my life down for theirs. And that's why I didn't feel the need for hysterics the way Jacob thought I would have. What had happened today was completely my fault, but I'm glad it happened. Haleigh had been in the clearing. He could have easily taken her, and she wouldn't have lasted half as long as I had.

The revelation that I would sacrifice myself meant that I had done some more growing up that I hadn't realized needed to happen.

Maybe, just maybe, I was starting to realize what being an alpha truly meant.

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**Soooo? How do we feel? Are things starting to fall into place or are there any questions? Reviews and PMs are very much welcome! Love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14! Well, I can say that this chapter was a favorite...and not. If I titled chapters, this one would be "Jacob Finds His Words." I cried. Just so you know. Also know that I am in no way religious so if I happen to offend someone, I apologize in advance. Not that this chapter is in any was religious, just some things that are said. Don't forget, if you want the links to see the cabins that a fan created, PM me for a request.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

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**JPOV**

Walker and I rode back to the Cullen house together. Christa had stayed down to help set up camp. I'd wanted to discuss things with him and he'd wanted to talk to Carlisle about marrying them. I thought they were moving too fast with the marriage thing and the adoption thing, but Walker had insisted that it was the right thing to do. One or the other I could understand, just not both at the same time. But at the end of it all, it was their choice, and I would support them. As would Nessie.

Walking into the house, we found both of our girls cuddled up together, fast asleep. The sun was setting, the leftover light that had somehow managed to peek through the clouds streaming through the western windows to wrap around them. Cricket and Alice were shoved into a corner, laughing, a pile of what looked like scrapbooks teetering next to them. Trey's brows were pulled down low as he played chess with Jasper. I snorted. Good luck with that.

Upstairs, I could hear Carlisle and Edward murmuring about Abigail. I still wasn't sure how I felt about her. According to Cricket, she'd saved Nessie's life today. But she'd been with Jane in that burning cabin. Although, again, she hadn't completely scrubbed their memories so that they'd be able to remember at a later date. Walker had said that she'd told Edward she'd been a vegetarian like the Cullens before Aro had forced her to join his Guard. Edward believed her. I supposed I did, too.

As Walker went for Haleigh, I went for Nessie. The bruises around her neck were already starting to fade. Not much, but enough to make me feel better.

"We gave her some blood," Edward said. "Adam and Derek hunted for Abigail and brought enough to feed them both. The blood is helping."

"Thanks," I muttered as I scooped her up into my arms.

Edward wrapped a blanket around her as I turned to Walker.

"You take the truck back down. The roads are going to get bad soon and I know you need to talk to Carlisle. I'm gonna get Nessie home."

"You sure?"

My gaze went to Haleigh snoozing in his arms, her head on his shoulder. I nodded. "Yeah. My body temp runs higher than yours for some reason. Nessie will be warmer."

He held out his hand the best he could. "Thanks."

"Not a problem." I looked to Carlisle who had come downstairs. "Is Nessie ok?"

He nodded. "The blood is healing her and her voice is returning to normal. Her oxygen levels are normal. She'll be fine. Maybe a little more blood when she wakes up."

Tired of the chit chat, even though I'd asked, I turned on my heel and went for the door. "I'm taking my wife home. If anybody needs anything, call Seth."

Outside, Blake and Sadie met me around the back of the house. The temperature was down to freezing once more, all that slush turning to ice. At least I had my boots on going up the incline. As we rounded the bend in the path, I saw Adam and Derek dragging a deer through the snow, eyes downcast as I passed them.

"I want to talk to the two of you after I put Nessie in bed."

They whimpered and shrank down as I passed.

After I sent Blake and Sadie away, I shouldered open the door to lay Nessie on the couch while I built up the fire. She could stay in here while I talked to them and then made us dinner. Once the fire was roaring, I stepped outside. Adam and Derek were in human form each wearing a pair of jeans.

"What happened?" I asked in that scary calm, emotionless voice that I'd used when dealing with Nicolai. It was a tone I couldn't help. The wolf inside was trying to keep me from going ballistic the way my mind was screaming to do so.

The two men glanced at each other before Adam stepped forward. I knew he would.

He cleared his throat. "Nothing excuses that we both left the house. But what happened was that something caught our attention in the woods. All we did was chase it off, whatever it was. We weren't even gone for five minutes. When we came back, the front door was wide open. We searched the house, but Nessie wasn't there. When we finally caught her scent and followed it, everything had already gone down so we hunted the deer for Abigail and Nessie." Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, beseeching. "Jacob, we are so sorry."

The wolf in my head snapped. "Sorry" wouldn't have saved Nessie's life.

"The two of you are off guard duty. Get with Seth to work you into patrols. Blake and Sadie will take over. When you phase back, tell them to get up here." The alpha tone coated each word like poison. I hated it, but it was necessary for them to know and understand their mistake and my anger.

Both Adam and Derek bowed their heads.

"Yes, Jacob," they said at the same time.

They backed up with their heads still bowed toward the woods. Once they got there, they stripped and phased. Not long after, Sadie and Blake trotted back up the path. They came to sit at the porch steps.

"You two will take over Nessie's protection detail as of now." Each wolf dipped its head.

The bigger one, Blake, trotted off to sit at the back of the house. As Derek and Adam slinked off into the woods, I had an idea. They knew their mistakes. And they cared about Nessie.

I whistled to get their attention. "Adam, Derek, get back over here."

They traded glances before trotting over. Sadie whined a little.

"It's good that the two of you know what you did wrong," I said as they sat down. "So, you stay on detail for Ness, but you listen to any orders Sadie or Blake give you. Understand?"

Excitedly, they yipped at me. Sadie rolled her eyes and growled at them. And then they just stared at each other. They were talking. After a few moments, the boys melted into the woods. She'd probably told them to run a small patrol line around the house. Which was good.

"Thanks, Sadie. Keep them on their toes," I said before going back inside to grab a large plastic container. Nessie was still out cold.

Outside, I went to the deer, grew a claw, and slit its throat. Warm blood leaked out, some getting on my hand as I drained the liquid into the container. It took a while, but eventually everything that would come out without me having to string it up was out.

When I passed Sadie, I said, "Get rid of it when you get a moment."

Back inside, Nessie was sitting up on the couch, the blanket still wrapped around her. Good. She'd get the blood fresh. And as soon as her eyes hit the container, they flared. She was hungry.

"You want it in a glass or like this?"

Licking her lips, she met my eyes. "I guess I can be civilized. Glass, please."

"You got it." The tightness in my chest loosened when I heard that her voice was back to normal. She really was ok. And she wasn't having hysterics.

Going to the kitchen, I slid off my jacket, grabbed a glass from the cabinet, and poured the still-warm blood. When I handed it to her, she greedily grabbed it and gulped half of it with one breath. With the next breath, she finished it off. Before she could stick her finger in the glass to get the extra, I poured the rest. She sucked that down, too, and then proceeded to lick the glass clean before sinking back into the couch, a look of bliss on her face. Eyes closed, she licked her lips and patted her stomach.

"That was divine," she said with her head back.

I set the glass in the sink before going to sit next to her. I clapped a hand on her thigh. She was sitting indian style-no pun intended-with her hands still rubbing over her flat tummy.

"Well, Derek and Adam brough that in."

Finally, she opened her eyes and lifted her head. "Don't be too angry with them. I was the idiot who left the house. Everything that happened today was my fault."

I shook my head, irritation making my jaw clench. "Ness, you can't keep taking the blame for everything, can't keep protecting them. They should have been watching the house, one of them going after whatever animal was in the woods. And they knew they were wrong in what they did." I sighed. "Look, I know you don't want anybody mad at anybody else, but this is important. If you keep intervening, they'll start to think they can get away with undermining my authority. So, please just let me handle things for a while, ok? You take care of the females and kids."

Not saying anything or meeting my eyes, her head flopped back to land on the back of the couch once more.

"Ness, baby, I know. I don't want to have to get onto them like that either, but their taking off put you in danger. I mean, what if it hadn't been the river that Cricket saw? What if it had been the lake? They weren't here to protect you, or stop you. And that was their job. Anyway, we need the females to pack up fast. Walker and I are taking the males up north the day after tomorrow. So, why don't you help get everyone down to the rez and settled? It shouldn't take too long since most of the females are already down there."

"What are you gonna do?" she asked, staring at the ceiling still.

I shrugged even though she didn't see it. "Walker wants to go ring shopping. I figured we could plan and shop at the same time."

A surprised chuckle spilled from her lips.

"What?"

"You sound like a woman."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever," I grumbled.

"When's the wedding?"

"They want Carlisle to marry them...tomorrow night."

Now, she looked at me, eyes sliding even though she didn't lift her head. "Excuse me?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

I nodded. "Yup. Tomorrow night before we leave."

"Well, that was a fast engagement."

"No shit. A day. Not even a day."

"What about his parents? They'll be pissed they weren't invited."

I shrugged again, remembering what Walker had said. "They just want to be married ASAP. When everything settles, they'll plan a big to-do and invite everyone. Until then, he'll just tell them he's engaged."

She shook her head, the nape of her neck rubbing against the couch. "That's so stupid. I mean, I know they love each other and are true mates, imprints, whatever. But really, they took in a girl they don't even know right after they finally get together. They haven't even been an item a month yet."

Sighing, I recalled saying the same to Walker. He hadn't liked that at all.

"Don't get me wrong," she continued. "I love Haleigh._ I_ don't even know her and she has me wrapped, but...still. They're gonna burn out."

"I know, baby. But really all we can do is be there for them when things start to crack. I mean, everybody thinks we're the ultimate couple and we've had our serious problems. Something will creep up on them eventually."

Lifting her head up again, she looked at me with surprise. "They really think that about us? I mean, you're right that we'll be there for them. I totally agree. But, they think that?"

Chuckling, I nodded. "Yeah, they do. Alpha imprinted couple. A lot of the females are jealous of you. How beautiful you are." Wrapping the curls at her temples around my finger, I brushed them behind her ear.

She blushed. "They don't have to be jealous. They're beautiful, too."

Smiling, I said, "And your neverending kindness and sympathy. The only people you've ever lost your temper with are me and various members of the Cullens. Never the pack."

"They've never given me reason to," she said.

I gave her a look. "Yes, they have. You're just quick to forgive them. Why is that?"

She shrugged, leaning her head into my touch. "I don't know. I guess it's because they accepted me as your mate even though I'm not like you or them. I'm very different, and yet they trust me. They confide in me. They're as protective of me as they are of you. It means everything." She shrugged again and reached for my other hand, playing her fingers over my ring. "After I heard about how Dad wanted to abort me before he could hear my thoughts...I don't know. I mean, I know he loves me. I do know that. But the devotion the wolves have now to me. I know it's because I'm mated to you and your imprint, but still."

Pressing two fingers under her chin, I met her eyes. "You do know that I split the pack with Seth and Leah when Sam wanted to destroy you and your mom. I wouldn't do it even before I imprinted because you weren't born yet. And neither would Seth or Leah. After you were born and he realized you weren't a threat and my imprint, Sam did everything to protect you, even joined the Cullens against the Volturi. Just once after meeting you, they all loved you. Maybe a little wary, but still. It had nothing to do with you being my imprint, and everything to do with who you were and who you've become."

Her eyes shimmered. Pulling her sideways into my arms, she broke, tears spilling over. I rocked her and stroked her back.

"Ness, don't ever think that they tolerate you because of me. They love you, too. And they understand that you have to let me lead them this way. You will always be enough for them."

After a few minutes, she pulled back and wiped her eyes, taking deep breaths. "I'm good. I'm ok."

"Good because we gotta talk about something else." I really didn't want to have this conversation with her, but it needed to happen.

"What?" she asked still wiping her eyes.

Closing my eyes, I let it out. "It's not just the pack that needs to follow orders. It's you, too."

"Jacob-"

"No, Nessie. I can't ignore this. Not anymore." Untangling myself from her, I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, unable to meet her eyes. "You disobeyed me. I told you to stay in this house today. It was to keep you safe. I can't use the 'alpha tone' on you because you're not a wolf. And after today, it's like I can't trust you to keep yourself safe."

Silence. And then, "What are you saying?"

"Remember back when you kept meeting Caden in the woods and I freaked out, told you to keep an eye on yourself? People won't always be there to protect you, Nessie. _I_ won't always be there to protect you. You have to keep yourself safe. I clearly stated that you were not to leave this house, and you did it anyway. You even knew why. You could have just picked up the phone to tell your dad or me to watch for someone in the woods, but you didn't. You acted irrationally, not even thinking about what could happen to you." Pausing, I took a deep breath to try to calm down a little. My knuckles cracked as I flexed my hands. "From talks with Caden, alpha females are as obligated, if not more so than the rest of the pack, to obey orders given by her alpha male. If she doesn't follow him, that sets a precedent. One I'm not willing to flaunt. So, please. Next time do as I ask or by God I will lock you down twenty-four/seven. Someone will be on your ass all day even in the bathroom."

Her expression was one of shock, hurt, incredulity, and anger. "You're talking about training me, keeping me prisoner."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I turned my face away from her. If I didn't, I would take it all back, and that was something I couldn't do.

"If that's how you want to see it, fine. You'd end up hating me, but as long as you're fucking alive, I don't care. I'd even let you get a divorce." I turned back to her when she gasped and gripped her hands. "Renesmee Black, I love you." Though I tried to hold it back, tears flooded me as did emotion. "I_ need_ you to understand that I don't want to be telling you all of this. But I cannot go through what I have with you again. Picking up your unconscious body, seeing bruises on you, the knowledge that another man touched you. I. _Cannot_. Go. Through. That. Anymore. I don't care if Cricket's vision said you weren't going to die. That shit doesn't matter. You are mine. You belong to me. And to be honest, the wolf does not like the disobedience from you. He's prowling in my head, wanting me to scream and yell." And that was true. He also wanted to punish her, to dominate her rough, but I was ignoring it as best I could. "I won't, but you have to understand that you are my life. Literally. I won't survive long after your heart stops. And that's not an exaggeration. The moment your heart stops, my countdown begins." I let the tears fall, and did something I never though I'd do. I begged, the tears falling, my voice cracking. "Please, please, _please_ don't ever purposely put yourself in harm's way again. I cannot live without you, and I don't want to. You are literally everything to me." The tears were coming hard, hot, and fast. My breathing was hitching, voice still cracking with emotion. "The air I breathe. The beat of my heart. The pump of my blood. My sanity. The reason I fight. If you asked me to leave right now, this very moment, I would do it. I would just run away with you, go into hiding. Whatever it took, as long as you were tucked into my side, and safe." I cupped her face gently. "I am _begging_ you to think about something before you just throw yourself into the wind. No more of that 'I'll deal with it when it comes' shit about your life, your death. You're not the only person that will be affected by the outcome. I will be, too. Your parents, Shelby. What about them?"

She was crying now, too. Her hands stroking over my hands, wrists, and forearms where I held her. She was so ashamed that she wouldn't meet my eyes as she cried.

I stroked her cheekbones. "Look at me. Please."

She sniffled. It took a minute for her gaze to meet mine, coming and darting away. But eventually, she did it, tears glossing the color.

"I love you. God, that word isn't even strong enough but it's all I've got. All I want is you happy and safe. I realize that this life isn't easy for you. Hell, it's not easy for me. Nothing was this complicated before, but the wolf, the pack, system is something we have to acknowledge with all these other wolves around. You're used to being selfless, and I love that about you, but in this I need you to be selfish right now. Stingy with your life. Fight to keep it. If the fire of you burns out, I'm nothing but smoke. Please, tell me you understand."

The tears spilled over once more, dripping down her face and over our arms. Each tear stung me like acid because I was the one to cause them.

"I do," she whispered finally, eyes sincere. "I understand."

She wasn't just telling me what I wanted to hear. For once she took what I said to heart. I hadn't been trying to flatter her or compliment her. I was stating facts about myself. We were so intertwined that whatever happened to her affected me. Mentally, physically, emotionally. And I knew that what I did affected her.

Clearing my throat, I gathered her up in my arms, on my lap and just held on for all I was worth. Her face was buried in the hollow of my throat, tears running down my skin to soak into my tank. Again, searing me like chemicals.

I buried my face in her hair and silently cried with her.

**TriciaPov**

"You're never gonna take that shirt off, are you?" Embry whispered in my ear as his hands snaked over my hips.

Giggling, I bit my lip. "Well, if you're asking me to…"

He growled.

I laughed. He'd gotten mad at me for teasing him with less than a week to go before my birthday. By the time the day came, he'd probably be chomping at the bit. I knew I would be. His skin was like smooth, warm caramel under my fingertips. "But no, I wasn't planning on it. I'm warm."

He growled again, but this time as if he were angry at the shirt for doing his job. "I can keep you warm."

"This is true, but what about when you're not around?"

I was currently slicing a pizza that had just come out of the oven. Though it was evening, I was only wearing one of Embry's button-downs and panties. Since he had the weekend off from patrols, and my parents were out of town, we'd decided to not leave his house. I could totally handle that. Though we had left long enough to get me a bag of clothes and for him to stop in to ask Seth about any events. Apparently, Jake was out of commission for the night...and not in a good way. Something big had gone down concerning Nessie, but I had been too busy with Brayden to listen. That kid was just too cute. I'd caught Embry watching me out of the corner of his eye multiple times.

"Hmmm," Embry hummed against the nape of my neck. "Then I guess I can give the shirt some credit.

Rolling my eyes, I held a slice of pizza up to his mouth. He took a bite and rubbed his fingers over my hipbones. He'd gotten over the hesitation of touching me. Those hands had snuck under the shirt so many times to caress my hips and waist, just barely missing the underside of my breasts. Every time his thumbs moved away, my body mourned what could have been. Of course, I'd put my bra on so he wouldn't have really been touching anything, but still. The heat of him seared me to the core.

"That's good," he said.

"It's a frozen pizza. That's kind of surprising."

"Can you make a homemade pizza?" he asked, a clear challenge in his voice.

I narrowed my eyes. "If you're challenging me, challenge accepted. You just don't have what I need in the house to make it."

"Well, that I can fix."

"You? Grocery shopping?"

He assumed an insulted expression. "I beg your pardon, but I have managed for a while."

"Since your mom left?"

He shrugged. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"But not well taken care of." Reaching up, I patted his cheek. "I'll fix that."

"You're too good to me."

"Pffft, please. I think you have it backwards."

Sliding a few pieces on a plate, I handed it to him, and then made up my own. Before I sat down, I grabbed a coke for him and filled a glass of water for me. Eventually, I made it to the couch. Embry had started up another movie, but I really wasn't paying attention.

"So anything eventful happen?" I asked.

"Ness got attacked by one of Walker's new wolves. Well, I don't think the guy was Walker's but you know what I mean."

I choked on water. "Oh my god. Is she ok?"

He nodded having just taken a bite. After he swallowed, he said, "Yeah, she's good. A few bruises around her neck. Passed out for about five minutes. But she's awake, aware, and healing."

"Damn. Anything else?"

His chewing became animated as if he were debating telling me something.

"What? Spit it out," I said, and then realized what I'd said. "Not the pizza. Eat that, then spit out whatever you're not telling me."

He did his own choking around the food as he laughed. "Ok, ok. I surrender. You'd never be able to give me the Heimlich." Sliding his plate on the coffee table, he took a slow sip of his coke.

"Any day now, Embry. What's going on?"

Sitting back, he sighed, took my plate from me to set it beside his before taking my hand. "Your brother. Uh…"

My heart was racing now. "What about Walker?"

"A lot has happened in the last couple days. But they're engaged and want to get married tomorrow night."

I'm pretty sure my jaw hit my chest. "Tomorrow? What about Mom and Dad?"

He shrugged. "According to Walker, they just want to be married. Later they'll have a big day for loved ones. But he wants you there tomorrow. Carlisle's marrying them. But there's also something else."

"There's something else bigger than my brother getting married?"

He nodded "Oh yeah."

His little game was starting to piss me off. "You'd better start talking or I will march straight back home...dressed like this."

A growl ripped through the room before he gripped my hips and pulled me over his thighs. I had no choice but to straddle his legs.

"You will not. Nobody else gets to see you like this. Only me."

His fingers digging through my hair had my breath catching. "Only you," I breathed.

"Good." He pushed my head down so that he could bury his face in my neck. I ran my fingers through his hair, brushing over his scalp. He growled against my skin. Warm lips pressed a kiss just over my pulse. "What else do you have to tell me, Embry?" I breathed through the fog his skin on mine caused.

Pulling back, he brushed my hair out of my face.

"Christa and Walker are also taking in a six year old little girl. Her name is Haleigh."

I just stared at him, convinced he was going to pop a grin and say that he was joking. But he didn't.

"Seriously?"

He nodded. "I haven't met her but those who have love her. I guess we'll see her tomorrow night."

That surprised me. "You'll go with me?"

"Of course. If you don't want me to, I won't, but-"

Rushing forward, I planted my lips on his. "I love you," I whispered against his lips.

He wrapped his arms completely around me to pull me against him. And then he shocked the hell out of me by turning to push me against the couch cushions, his weight settling on me. Spreading my legs to make room for his hips, the rough material of his jeans rubbed over my thighs and my core. My panties were thin, cotton, and damp causing a delicious friction as he moved against me. Those hot hands gripped my hips and moved up, the shirt catching on his wrists and moving up, baring more of my skin to the room. With a growl rumbling through his chest, his thumbs pressed over my ribs, applying pressure as if he wanted so bad to push his own self-imposed limits and touch me. My body ached for him to touch me, but his control won out.

Breathing hard, he pulled back to rest his forehead against my shoulder.

Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I urged him to collapse on me. Stroking the nape of his neck and shoulders, I said, "It's ok. I understand. It's ok."

"I just want you so much."

"I know because I want you, too. Rethinking making us go to Thanksgiving?"

Though he tried not to, he laughed. Leaning up on his elbows over my shoulders, he dropped his head into my hair and laughed, a true smile stretching his luscious lips.

When he finally got enough air, he said, "I think your dad would track you down, and then, finding you naked in my bed, he'd kill me."

As heat flooded me at the image, I bit my lip and wiggled under him. "Naked in your bed, huh? I like the sound of that."

Closing his eyes, he had a full-body shudder rock through him. When he opened them again, heat filled them. Slowly, so slowly, his mouth descended on mine once more.

Right then and there, I decided that I could totally get used to nights like this one. My birthday couldn't get here fast enough.

**WalkerPOV**

Haleigh and I finally made it home. I'd driven slowly over the ice-covered streets. As soon as her feet hit the carpet, she took off for the kitchen where Christa was cooking. Smelled like baked chicken. My stomach rumbled.

"Hey, sweetheart. You wanna help?"

Leaning against the kitchen doorway, I crossed my arms over my chest as Haleigh climbed up onto a kitchen chair to help stir what looked like noodles.

"Don't get too close, ok? You'll get burned." Sensing me watching her, Christa turned around to smile at me.

I grinned back.

She was wearing sleep shorts and a tank like the ones I wore but for girls. Her blonde curls were twisted in a messy, loose braid over her shoulder.

"How's Ness?" she asked.

"Good. She was asleep when we stopped at the house, but the bruises were fading. Carlisle said they'd given her some deer blood."

"That's great. Any sign of Ma...you know who?"

I shook my head even though she couldn't see it. "Nope. Tried to follow his trail north but he took to the river. Gavin's gone, too. My guess is they went to find Tristan." I pushed off from the door. "Look, there's something I need to talk to you about. It's about the trip to Denali."

She lifted the wooden spoon she was using to mix the mashed potatoes. "I've always liked those sisters. I hope they're ok."

"Christa, you're staying down here."

Slowly, she turned around. "What?"

"Jacob, Caden, and I have decided that the females are going to stay on the rez. _All_ the females."

Turning around, she glared at me. And then seemed to realize that Haleigh was watching us. Smiling at her with tight lips, she said, "Keep stirring, sweetie. I'll be right back." Stepping in close to me, she hissed, "No way. I'm going with you."

I rested my hands on her shoulders. "No, you're not. You're going to stay with Nessie and our pack. And keep Haleigh safe. The two alpha females need to stay here. We have enough wolves to leave a patrol around the rez. Nessie is going to help get all the females down here tomorrow, including Rebecca and her husband, and Sue. We'll also leave some wolves on my parents' place. Please, Christa."

The glare heated. "Fine," she snapped. "But I don't like this."

"And I realize that. But we have Haleigh now. We promised not to leave her. One of us has to keep that promise if something happens."

"Shut up. Don't you dare talk to me like that. Nothing is going to happen."

I stroked her hair. "It's better to prepare for the worst so that if it happens, we'll be ready. If not, we'll be pleasantly surprised."

Sighing, she rested her forehead on my chest. "I hate you."

Chuckling humorlessly, I stroked her back. "Tell me something I don't know. I hate chaining you. But this needs to be done."

"Miss Christa, the bubbles are getting bigger," Haleigh said from the stove.

Without a word or touch, Christa spun away from me to finish dinner. Which turned out to be chicken parmesan and really quiet besides whatever we said to Haleigh. Her first taste of chocolate ice cream was definitely something to remember. After dinner, the three of us settled into the couch to watch another movie. Haleigh just couldn't seem to get enough of them.

It took both me and Christa to get her ready for and settled in bed. Surprisingly, Christa had told her that she needed to stay in her own room tonight so that she could get used to it. I'd expected Christa to tell her that she could sneak in later, completely obliterating our plans for the night. Though I seriously doubted they were still happening. She was still pissed off with me.

When we were both settled in our-Christa's?-bed, I lay on my back, hand up cradling my head, as I stared at the ceiling. She was on her side, back to me.

"I suppose marrying should wait until I come back," I said to nobody and everybody.

Her only response was to stiffen. Probably because she decided not to marry me at all, which wouldn't surprise me. I'd bossed her around instead of asking first.

Swinging my legs off the bed, I grabbed the pillow and pushed up from the bed. I took one step away before I heard the bed move, felt fingers dig into my tank and pull me back down onto the bed. Before my brain could catch up, she slung her leg over my hips and sat on me, my erection dangerously close to the warmth of her. Taking my wrists, she pinned them by my ears on mattress. The pillow had ended up somewhere else.

"I hate you right now. I'm pissed off," she growled, glaring at me. And then she softened as she leaned down to hover her lips over mine. "But I wouldn't miss marrying you tomorrow for death itself." A whisper of a kiss was breathed over me. "Consider this our first newlywed argument." She gripped my wrists harder. "And for the record, don't you ever boss me around again. Ask nicely."

"I think I learned my lesson at dinner," I breathed, stretching my neck up to finish the kiss, but she pulled back.

"Not yet, you haven't."

Leaning up and forward, she wrapped something silky around my wrist. And then tied it to the headboard. Quirking an eyebrow, I watched her move to the other side, tugging on it to make sure there wasn't much give.

Not even a blush touched her skin. "I kept these after my dad left. It's nice to put them to use."

Neckties I realized.

I gripped them the best I could and pulled myself up a little. This I could totally handle. She watched me like the predator she was and the prey that I'd become. Pure lust shot down my body to harden me further. Still straddling my waist, she fisted my tank at the top hem and pulled, ripping the fabric down the middle. My entire body flexed in a ripple under her gaze. Slowly, she leaned her upper body down over me, flicking her tongue out, eyes on mine. Warm, wet lines from her tongue ran over the muscles of my stomach. Panting, I slammed my head back into the mattress and gritted my teeth as that tongue, and only her tongue, just the tip, traced over my torso. Every muscle that twitched, my nipples, no piece of flesh untouched.

Biceps bunched as I pulled at the ties, my hands itching to dig into her hair, to push her closer to me. Now I understood what she meant. She was torturing me for how I'd talked to her before dinner.

Torture was a good word for it when she traced her tongue along the skin just above my boxers. My stomach flexed again which made the heat in her eyes burn hotter. I was in good shape with good muscle definition. Women apparently liked that. Especially my woman.

Speaking of my woman, she dipped that tongue below the elastic of the shorts and I held back a yell as she caressed the tip of my erection. It jumped wildly as if it, like me, had stopped expecting to be used tonight.

Apparently, she didn't like that I'd held back the yell because she growled and fisted the boxers just as she had the tank, ripping them apart. Instantly, my erection stood up, begging for attention.

I knew I was in trouble when her grin turned evil and tongue danced over her straight, white teeth. As I clenched my jaw, she lowered her face down, down, down...a hiss escaped me when the tip of her tongue circled the head of me.

"God!" I growled pressing my head into the mattress.

Panting again, I was relieved when her warm hand gripped the base of my shaft, squeezing gently.

"Though I've never done this before, I've always wanted to do it to you. Even those times you were an asshole to me." Her breath played over the wetness she'd left behind, making my skin shrink. I pulled at the ties, bucking my hips to try for friction.

Didn't happen.

She gripped me hard, finally coaxing a groan out of me. "Uh, uh, uh. Stay still."

Closing my eyes, I tried to calm myself down enough so that I wouldn't break anything or bust her in the face. The calm didn't last, however, when she draped her naked body over the lower half of mine.

Oh god, oh god, oh god. Her pearled nipples traced the insides of my thighs, so damn close, as she gripped the base of my shaft again. So slowly that fist moved up and down with the sexiest pressure. Even the fact that I was dry didn't bother me even though I was told it could get uncomfortable. Nope. I was damn good as her speed picked up.

And then her mouth was added to the mix.

Peeling my eyes open, I had to watch as hers closed so she could concentrate. Those luscious lips and erotic tongue played over me, giving me that wetness. She groaned as she slid my shaft down her throat, so far that her lips touched the base. Keeping herself down on me like that, I felt her throat constrict as she gagged before pulling up, leaving a trail of wetness behind.

"Oh, god, do that again. Please," I begged. Never thought I'd beg for something like that, but it had been pure heaven and I needed another dose.

She squeezed me to the point where it was almost pain, but I so didn't mind.

"Not yet. I'm not done trying other things." She didn't like me talking. I figured that out when she gagged me with another tie.

And then she was back on me, exploring, tasting, nipping, sucking. All the while that hand moved over the parts that her mouth weren't on. Letting up, she licked me from base to tip and then bobbed up and down the top half as her hand gripped and slid over the bottom. Jes-us, Mary, and Joseph, I wasn't going to last. This was way too good even if she was torturing me. I'd happily be tortured this way every night.

Just as my lower stomach and back clenched, the sac below tightening with the need for release, she let up. Peeling my eyelids back open-didn't realize I'd closed them again-I saw her crawl over me, her core poised over the tip of my shaft. I almost came right then and there, the sight was so erotic. I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood to calm down enough. Gripping me again, she stroked once, twice, and then positioned me at her entrance.

Even from here I could see she was pink and soaking, glistening from need. I hadn't done any foreplay on her. She'd be so wet, so tight. Her sun-kissed skin was glowing, flushed with pleasure, nipples hard and dark though I hadn't been able to give them the attention they deserved. Her breasts were perfectly rounded, just more than a handful.

My study of her was cut off when I felt her rub herself with the head of my erection. Fuck! The evidence of her pleasure dripped down my shaft in one thick line that I could see. My hips bucked without my brain's permission, or maybe my brain was on the same page as my body. She'd sensed the movement a second before and held herself off of me so that I wouldn't thrust up inside her. Dammit! My body was tight, itchy. Shudders rippled over my skin causing it to twitch. The muscles, too My arms jerked at the bonds that held my hands. I could easily grow a claw and cut myself free, but this was part of the game. Which made it hot as hell.

She met my eyes with a wicked glint. Begging with my eyes, I growled through the gag and then whimpered. The wolf finally showed up, wanting her as much as I did. It was strange how we were two different types of wolf, yet mine recognized her, knew she was ours, our mate.

Christa finally took sympathy on us both and slid down over me, sheathing me inside her. We both shouted, mine muffled, as we both fought her body. As expected, she was wet, but tight. And I wasn't small. My body fought for each tight inch until she was finally sitting across my hips. Her eyes were closed, breathing heavy, bottom lip between her teeth. I bucked my hips up a little to let her know that I needed movement.

She got the memo. Her hips started to move, slowly at first as if stretching herself on me. Her hands, which were resting on my hip bones, moved. Never leaving skin, she smoothed those hands over me, her thighs, over her flat stomach, to cup her breasts.

Mary, mother of-fingertips tweaked her own nipples and her head fell back with a moan. And her hips started to swing. In a circle. Back to front. She rode me every way that she could with her hands otherwise occupied. One hand moved back down her stomach to press into her sweet spot, moving in circles, applying pressure. Another moan left her before she fell forward, bracing herself on her hands once more that were again pressed over my hip bones.

"Fuck, Walker. So damn deep. So fucking big."

Finally, she lifted herself up. My shaft was soaked with her pleasure, thighs coated in it as she sat back down. Over and over she rode me. Up. Down. Around.

I couldn't help it anymore. I had to participate. Planting my feet into the mattress, I raised my hips up, forcing my shaft further into her on her fall back down onto me. She let out a surprised gasp as I held myself there for a long moment before falling back to the mattress. Breathing hard, she moved her hips up and back, and I took that opportunity to pay her back. Catching her off guard, I hammered into her. Sitting still, braced on my body, she let me, taking each thrust hard and fast as I pounded for all I was worth. Her body bucked forward, face scrunched up as if the pleasure was too painful.

"Ooooo," she moaned.

With a growl, I thrust up inside her and kept the position. Deep and hard inside her, she gasped and fell back, bracing her hands on my knees and lifted her pelvis creating a new angle that wasn't as deep. Still her her spot though.

I thrusted. She danced. And together, we both built the pressure that was tightening the oxygen in the room. Built the electricity crackling in the air.

"Oh, god, Walker! Please, come! Please!"

A moment later, her body clamped on mine where it was sheathed inside her, and she let out a hoarse yell. Luckily it wasn't loud enough to travel seeing as how there were little ears in the house now. But with her orgasm, her body milking me, mine nailed in the spine. Sac tightening up my next thrust was the last. My body couldn't fight for those inches anymore with her muscles relaxing a tensing so much.

I exploded the next instant, very happy for my gag. Because I did yell. Or tried to. My entire body tensed, one huge flex that bent the bars of the headboard with a whine.

When the last of my hot seed was milked from me, I collapsed, sweaty on the bed. Christa followed, breathing hard, equally drenched. With a very shaky hand, she managed to reach up, take out the gag, and cut the ties free with her own claw. Immediately, even though my arms were dead tired from the pulling and tensing, they managed to wrap around her.

"Lesson learned," I breathed into her hair.

She laughed in that way that said it was both painful and amusing at the same time. Since I was still inside her, but extremely sensitive, I hissed with the movement. Pulling my hips back, I fell out of her, well worn out.

"Seriously, Walker." Her voice wasn't any smoother than mine had been. I reached down to pull the covers up, using my last bit of energy to make sure we were modest, just in case. She could use me for a body pillow any damn day.

"Hm?"

"Just ask next time. And I'm marrying your stupid ass tomorrow. Don't even think of backing out."

I kissed her forehead. "Wouldn't dream of it. All I'll dream of is what we just did. So hush and go to sleep so I can get started."

She laughed again, her breath warm on my chest. "That order is one I can live with. Alpha."

"Good. I'll always be your pain in the ass. Promise."

"Always."

And that was the best "I love you" a man could ever ask for before drifting off with his woman safe in his arms.

**RPOV**

After what seemed like years, Jacob and I pulled apart. His face was just as red and blotchy as mine was. With an ache in my chest for everything he'd said, all the emotions he'd finally let out, I pulled away and went for the bathtub. I needed a moment to myself to think through things. Jacob had let me go with a kiss to my wedding ring. No words were spoken between us as I went down to our bedroom and started the bath.

Slipping into the hot water, my body decided to tell me about all its aches in one moment. Everything hurt right down to my hair follicles. I sunk down so that my neck would get some of that hot water magic.

My thoughts kept drifting back to my husband upstairs. The whole time he'd been talking, he'd been a giant wound. Open, raw, and bloody. Every word had sliced through my heart. Every tear like acid on my soul and skin.

He'd been right about everything. I hadn't even thought twice about darting out of the house. Which had been childish. I wasn't that girl anymore. I was a responsible woman who took care of her people when they needed me. All I'd done was toss that aside.

"Dammit," I growled to myself. "What the hell is wrong with you, Ness? You're not this stupid."

This wasn't the old pack anymore. Things were changing. Status and dominance lines were being drawn, everything starting to align instead of staying scattered. The wolves, all of them no matter the type, needed to know that I stood by Jacob's decisions and followed his orders, believed in them. It was the whole "go ask your mother; go ask your father" type of thing on a much bigger scale. What Jacob ordered is what should be followed. Period. And that included me. I was an adult. Old enough to be married, to make love. It was time I started acting like it. My man was the most important thing to me. I'd protect him if I could, but otherwise, I followed him. I'd let him lead me.

An hour and a tub of cold water later, I stepped out of the tub, dried off, and dressed in my pajamas. When I got up to the kitchen, Jacob had heated up some leftover taco meat. There were two plates on the counter as well as two empty glasses. He was digging in the fridge and emerged with a jug of sweet tea. Holding it up, he asked a question with his eyes. I nodded.

After pouring the glasses, we sat down at the table and ate in silence. It was awkward at first. And then Jacob paused with a taco halfway to his mouth, frowned, put said taco back on his plate. Standing up, he moved his plate and glass around the table so that he was in the chair next to me. Reaching under the table, he gripped my thigh to drape it over his and gripped my hand afterward. Then he smiled and started eating once more.

With my own small smile, I ate, too, though not really hungry. I ate because my husband had thought to make me food. What kind of wife would I be if I declined?

After dinner, in a much more companionable silence, we moved around the kitchen to clean it up. Going for the couch a few minutes later, he turned on the tv, back to UFC and sank back into the couch. I wasn't sure if he wanted me to join him, but I know my body was itching to be tucked next to his.

Chewing on my lip, I went to stand next to the couch. He glanced up with a half smile before returning his gaze to the tv. I hugged my middle and was about to turn away when he looked at me again, really looked at me. With a gentle smile, he lifted his arm, offering space for me to cuddle into.

I took it with a sniffle. He wrapped his arm around me like he did every night and kissed my hair.

Putting my hand over his heart to grab his attention, I whispered, "I promise."

Grinning, he gripped my fingers and pressed his lips to my knuckles.

"Thank you," he whispered into my ear.

Forgiveness had never sounded so sweet as I rested my head against his chest and soaked in his warmth.

* * *

**Um, yeah. In. Tears. Anyone else? Love you guys! xoxoxoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15! I know. Took me long enough. However, I've been struggling with something that I learned about this story. And many of you are going to not like me for it. However, all I ask is that you stick with me because I've also seen what happens next. Nothing terrible in this chapter, but be ready for the next few. I'll be getting angry reviews and I also sense a cliffy of some sort. So just...stay calm.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**ChristaPOV**

I woke up in Walker's arms, his body wrapped around me protectively. Today was our day. Carlisle was marrying us tonight, and tomorrow, the males would be going to Denali. My chest tightened at the thought. So many things could go wrong, and suddenly, my anger bubbled up again. He wouldn't let me go to watch his back because of some stupid male pride thing.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Miss Christa? Mr. Walker?"

Sighing, I though to myself that we really should try to get her to drop the Mr. and Miss stuff. Wasn't necessary to be that formal.

Inching out from under Walker proved to be an obstacle course. Every time I moved one of his limbs, the other came to take its place. Finally, I just pushed him off so that he rolled over onto his back. His leanly muscled body sprawled out and my breath caught. Tanned skin glowed, auburn hair glinted. He stretched in his sleep, pulling that body taut. The remnants of the ties were still wrapped around his wrists. My mouth watered as he hardened while I watched him. Last night had been amazing and kind of terrifying. I hadn't realized that I'd had that kind of kink in me until he'd pissed me off. I'd wanted to punish him, but not with pain.

When I finally was able to pull my eyes off him and pull my pajamas on from last night, my body screamed its aftershocks. My own muscles were tight, especially my hips and thighs which had done the most work last night. If I was hurting, I knew Walker had gotten a lower ab workout as well. We kept that up, he'd have a twelve back all the way down to his manhood. I could live with that. Just one more thing to lick.

Taking a deep breath, I told myself to clear the dirty thoughts. I had a six year old to feed.

Slipping out the door, I quickly closed it behind me. The only thing covering Walker was a sheet over his thigh. That was it.

Haleigh was standing in front of the door in her nightgown, her doll clutched in her hands. Her dark brown hair was tangled around her shoulders.

"Good morning, sweetie." I bent down to pick her up as she yawned and rubbed one of her eyes. My body protested as I hefted her up into my arms. She put her head on my shoulder, and I figured I could live with it. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Lucky Charms," she said sleepily.

"Well, then, Lucky Charms it is." Keeping her in my arms, I put together a bowl one handed. But there was no way to carry it to the table without both hands, not if I didn't want to spill it. I put her in a chair at the table and then carried the bowl to her. She was starting to wake up, humming to herself, kicking her little feet.

"Miss Christa?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Why are you mad at Mr. Walker?"

Chuckling, I knelt down beside her chair. "Sweetie, you can just call us Christa and Walker. No Miss or Mr. Ok?" When she nodded, I answered her question. "He and I just had an argument. We don't agree on something about the pack. That's all." I tried to smooth her tangled hair behind her ear. "We'll work it out."

"Are you getting mated?"

It took me a second to realize she meant married. "Yes, sweetie, we are. Carlisle, you remember him?" She nodded. "He's going to help us with the ceremony tonight."

Her eyes filled with excitement. "Can I come?"

I laughed again. "Yes, sweetie. We want you to be there. You're ours now."

She beamed at me.

"That's right, baby girl."

We both turned to find Walker in a pair of sweats and another tank, one that wasn't ripped to shreds. His hair was tousled, eyes still fighting sleep. At least the ties were gone.

"We couldn't get mated without you."

Her beam got so bright I could practically feel it. Standing up in her chair, she reached for him. He picked her up and kissed her cheek. She returned to gesture.

"But listen, baby girl. I gotta tell you something, ok? And I really need you to listen. Can you do that?"

Her expression turned serious with a little frown as she nodded.

"Good. Now, the males of my and Jacob's packs have to leave for a few days, which means that I have to go with them. You and Christa will stay down here on the reservation with Nessie and the other females."

Her frown deepened. "Are you coming back?"

"Absolutely. I'll be back before you know it."

For a moment, she just pouted. "I'll miss you," she finally said, throwing her arms around him.

He rubbed her back and met my eyes over her shoulder. "I know. I'll miss you, too." He pulled her back a little. "But listen. I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"You gotta watch over Christa, ok? Keep her safe."

Solemnly, she nodded. "I will."

He booped her nose with a fingertip. "Good girl. Now," he lifted her up and over the chair, "you need to finish breakfast. You have to be strong."

Plopping back down, she started eating again, swinging her feet once more. Walker came over to me, wrapped his arms around my hips and pulled me close.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered against my neck.

"Good morning," I said, kissing his shoulder. "I'm still mad at you."

"I know."

"Glad you do. What do you want for breakfast?"

"You," he breathed into my ear so Haleigh wouldn't hear.

I shook my head. "Not happening. Food, Walker. What food do you want?"

He pulled back to give me a look. "Hmmm, got stuff for waffles?"

I nodded. "Actually, yes. I was thinking the same thing." Pulling away, I went for the pantry. "Grab the eggs out of the fridge for me."

An hour later, Walker and I were laughing at the sticky mess that Haleigh's hands and face had become. She was frowning at her hands as she flexed them and clapped them, the syrup giving her resistance. And then she shrugged and started licking her fingers and hands all the way to her wrists.

Shaking his head, Walker got up to gather the dishes and start cleaning the kitchen. "You want bath duty?" he asked over his shoulder.

Going over to her, I picked her up. She pressed a sticky kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Yup, it's bathtime, pipsqueak."

Walker leaned back, wanting a kiss. I gave him one as I passed. "I'm getting in the shower once I get done in here. Meeting up with Jake."

"That better not be an invitation, because the answer's no."

"Still mad at me, huh?"

"You bet your sweet...butt, I am."

He chuckled against my lips. Haleigh giggled. His eyes slid to her just before he darted in to plant kisses all over her face. She giggled even more and squirmed in my arms. When he pulled back, she planted one right on his lips, which surprised him because he just froze as if he were unsure of what just happened. She just smiled and buried herself closer to me. Giggling, I leaned forward to give him my own kiss. And then I spun to give our little one a bath.

Thirty minutes after I finished giving Haleigh her bath, I was stepping out of the shower. Walker had ended up on the phone after washing the dishes so he'd shooed me into the bathroom. The hot water had done wonders on my body.

There was a knock at the front door. I threw on my underwear, a white tank, and some jeans before going out into the living room, towel drying my hair on the way out. Walker had gotten the door.

"Hey, guys," he said. "What are you doing here?"

Alice's voice drifted around him. "It's your wedding day. Weddings are my thing, and I thought that Christa might want some company of the female variety. I know you're going with Jake ring shopping, so…"

"I would love that," I choked out. Tears had threatened me again. I wasn't all that close to Alice, so the gesture was touching.

Walker moved aside so that I could see Alice, the girl I assumed was Cricket, Nessie, and Jacob. Nessie came in with a smile and her arms held out. I hugged her hard.

"Thank you for coming over. You look better."

Letting go, she smiled. "Of course I came. I am still your alpha female even though you have a pack of your own. I wouldn't let you do this alone. And thank you. I feel much better after the blood."

"Yeah, she licked the glass clean," Jacob said with a chuckle. She smiled sheepishly as if she were an old time lady not used to people talking about her.

There was something different between the two, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Your boyfriend isn't around is he?" Walker asked the girl, eyes scanning the outside as everybody came in before he closed the door.

The girl snorted. "Not scared of him, are you?"

"The gun, yes. Him on his own, not so much."

Her violet eyes widened. "You're_ that_ type of werewolf?"

He assumed a bored expression. "Do I look Quileute to you?"

I spoke up before a fight could break out. "I don't look Quileute, but I am. Leave her alone, Walker," I said with a chuckle.

She stuck out her tongue at him. He rolled his eyes. It was amusing to think that they were the same age.

She held her hand out to me. "Cricket. Brigette, actually, but Cricket."

I shook her hand. "Christa. I sense a story behind the name."

She shrugged. "Not really. I just like it. It's weird. Like me."

Alice shot her a sharp look. "You are not weird, just different."

"Uh, Aunt Alice, that's called weird."

Alice gave a graceful snort. How she managed it, I didn't know. But I believe she'd met her match in her niece.

Again, Walker rolled his eyes as he shook hands with Jake. "Let me hop in the shower. We had syrup with breakfast and a six year old at the table."

"It was sticky," was said with a little giggle.

The room turned. Haleigh was standing in the doorway that led to the hall. Her hair was combed but still wet draped over her shoulders. She was wearing a long sleeve white t-shirt with a picture of Belle from Beauty and the Beast, a pair of jeans, and the sneakers I'd bought her the other day. The doll, as usual, was tucked against her chest.

"Hey, Haleigh," Nessie said as she bent down.

"Hi, Miss Nessie."

"You look very pretty today."

Haleigh assumed a bashful expression. "Thank you. Are you all better?"

Nessie smiled. "Yes, I am. Thank you for asking."

"Mis...Christa got me a new doll. Can I show you it?"

Nessie's grin got wider. "You certainly can," she said taking Haleigh's outstretched hand. Looking over her shoulder she smiled sweetly to Jacob. "See you later. Love you."

He smiled back. "Love you, too. And Ness?"

"Yes?"

"The four of them are outside. If you leave, they go with you." Though he still held a smirk, it was stated authoritatively.

She nodded, gaze meeting his. "I understand. Be safe."

"We will. You, too."

And that's when I figured out what was different. There wasn't anymore tension as if Jacob had finally gotten whatever was bothering him off his chest. They were easy-breezy as Morgan liked to say. After the exchange, Nessie disappeared down the hall while Jake smiled down at me.

"Congrats, Christa," he said wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me in. He smelled like supple leather and woodsmoke.

"Thank you." I hugged him back.

"Don't worry, I won't let him pick out anything too obnoxious."

I laughed. "Oh thank god."

He chuckled. "Seems like the pack females don't ever want anything huge and sparkly. Just a little something."

I nodded. "Sounds perfect to me. And don't let him spend too much. I'll kill you both."

Dark brows rose to his hairline. "Our little pup is getting feisty now that she's alpha female."

My eyes widened and I looked at the ground. "Sorry, Jacob. I'm really-"

"Awesome, is what you are." He squeezed me to his side. "Really, Christa. It's great to see you like this. And I'm seriously happy for you. You deserve this." Stepping away from me, he put his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "But listen, I don't want to step into this...ordeal. However, Walker told me you were mad at him for telling you to stay down here tomorrow. I just want you to remember something, and if you need to ask, talk to Nessie."

I stared at him. "Ooookay? What is it?"

He took a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. "Just remember, he's the alpha male of the pack."

I frowned. "What?"

"Hey, man. Ready to go?"

Walker was sliding into his own leather jacket that wasn't nearly as old as Jacob's as he came back into the foyer. Still had some breaking in to do. His hair was still damp and sticking in every direction as if he'd rubbed over it with a towel and then walked off.

Shaking my head, I reached up and ran my fingers through it to flatten it out a bit.

After a moment, he pulled away from me. "Thanks, mom," he said sarcastically.

I cocked an eyebrow, knowing the "little ears" were busy. "I am not your mother. Pretty sure I proved that last night."

Heat flooded his expression, as did a blush. Jacob's brows went back into his hairline, gaze bouncing between us, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"I might just need to buy some more ties," Walker growled in a low voice.

"Alright," Jacob said, grabbing the collar of Walker's jacket as he stepped into me. "Alice would kill me if I let the two of you go at it on your wedding day _before_ you said your vows."

"That's right!" Alice's voice rang down the hallway. All the girls had migrated to Haleigh's room.

Jacob gave us a look as he dragged Walker toward the front door. "We're leaving now. You," he said with a pointed look at me, "hang out with the girls. This one and I are going into Port Angeles. Say your goodbyes until you meet up to say your vows and sign the paperwork."

Walker shrugged out of his hands. "Gotta kiss my woman, man. You're cramping my style."

Jacob's eyes rolled while Walker strode up to me and took me in his arms.

"Love you," he whispered.

Stepping onto my tiptoes, I kissed him. "Love you, too."

Slipping his arms around my waist, he pulled me up to him and deepened the kiss, his tongue dominating my mouth. When he pulled back, I was left panting and breathless.

Jacob tugged on Walker's collar once more. "Come on, Romeo."

Laughing, I blew Walker a kiss as Jacob dragged him outside.

A few minutes after the door closed, the patter of little feet echoed down the hall. Haleigh flew past me a moment later to open the door and fling herself outside.

"No! Walker!"

Both Walker and Jacob turned in surprise as Haleigh ran across the yard. Walker scooped her up.

"What's wrong, baby girl?" he asked, worry etched all over his face.

She threw her arms around his neck. "I don't want you to go yet!"

Jacob tried to hide a soft smile.

"I'm not leaving yet. I'm just going to the store. Jacob and I will be back later today." He stroked her back.

"I wanna go with you," she pouted.

Walker opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, when Jacob spoke up. "That's sounds great. She can help."

"Help?" she asked, still pouting.

Jacob nodded. "Walker needs to pick out a ring for Christa. You wanna help pick it out?"

Eyes widening, a grin twitching at her lips, she nodded fervently.

Walker looked over to me. "You mind?"

I shook my head with a grin. "Nope. Spend some time with her before you leave. I'll get a few days with her."

As they turned away to the pack truck that Jacob drove, she waved at me over his shoulder. I waved back, and felt an arm pat my shoulder.

"They'll take care of her. She'll be fine."

Turning, I found Nessie standing there. Alice and Cricket were digging through my house, no doubt looking for any inspirations.

"I know she will." Frowning, I turned to her. "Hey, Jacob said something to me before they left. He said that if I had any questions about it that I should ask you."

Now she was frowning. "What was it?"

"Well, apparently Walker had told him that I wasn't happy that Walker was making me stay down on the rez, which I'm not. But Jacob said, 'Just remember. He's alpha male of the pack'. What did he mean by that?"

A moment of silence before she sighed. "As Walker's alpha female, you are in a very...unique position. And, as you know, I'm still learning the ropes. Things are changing, Christa. It's no longer an unstructured system for the Quileute pack. Jacob is the ultimate authority, and that means that I am as bound by his orders as say Adam and Derek." She wrapped her arms around herself. "You know I was attacked. And that was because I didn't follow Jacob's orders. He specifically told me to stay in our house yesterday. And I didn't. I disobeyed him and I got hurt. If Abigail or Cricket hadn't been there, I'd be dead. Malik would have killed me." Reaching out, she took my hand. "What I'm saying is that you are Walker's alpha female. If the pack sees you defying his orders, they'll think they can get away with it, too. Walker was meant to be leader. I firmly believe that fate puts you where you're supposed to be. He's supposed to be a leader. And leaders follow their instincts. So trust him. If he says stay, accept it. Eventually, he'll become the leader that will understand all this. As their women, we're the example for the rest of the pack. We follow them, they'll follow them. And as a new leader, Walker needs all the support from you he can get."

My frown stayed as the truck fired up behind us. Turning around, we plastered smiles on our lips and waved as they drove off.

Ness was right. Just as with everything else, the pack structure was evolving.

I had some apologizing to do.

**CadenPOV**

The moment the door slammed, I knew I was about to get an earful.

"Caden!"

Taking a deep breath, I walked out of the bathroom in a pair of jeans, running a towel over my hair.

"Yes, luv?"

Leah stormed around the bedroom door to pin me with a glare. Her expression shimmied between lust and anger. She always did like me better without a shirt on.

I was just about to smirk and say something when she got her glare back. "I have to stay down here?!"

Seth was told to release the information while he was phased. Jacob and Walker had gone to Port Angeles for most of the day.

Sighing, I sat on the edge of the bed. "Leah,-"

"And you're going along with this?" She crossed her arms over her stomach. "Let me guess, it was your idea."

I gave her a sharp look. "Actually, no, it wasn't. It was Jacob's. And as scary as he's become, I would love to see you give him a piece of your mind." Sighing, I patted the bed beside me. Fuming, she sat down in a huff, her arms still crossed. "Sweetheart, as much as I know you want to go, as much as I would love for you to go, I agree with their decision."

"Caden, it doesn't make sense. All the females, vulnerable on the rez?"

"Leah, you'll still be useful. The rez will need you to watch over them. Hopefully we won't be gone that long, but you need to understand something. Even if I didn't agree, I'd go along with it."

She gaped at me. "Why?"

"Jacob took me in when he didn't have to. I have no rights to dispute him. And Walker? He needs the support right now. He needs to realize that his word is law."

Her dark eyebrow cocked up. "Excuse me?"

I sighed again. "It's a thing with our type of wolf. The pack leader is the law maker. Therefore, he or she is the law. These packs are not a democracy except for in dire circumstances such as when they decided to make Walker their pack leader instead of finding someone else. Bianca had already stepped down, and those were there only two choices after that. Walker killed Edmund. Even though I'd be more experienced as pack leader, he, in their eyes, earned his place. In my eyes as well. And I will do what I have to in order to cement his leadership."

Huffing again, she turned her eyes away from me. "This is the first time we'll really be separated. I don't like it." Her bottom lip trembled. "I don't want to be away from you for that long."

Wrapping her in my arms, I rested my chin on her shoulder and kissed the pulse in her neck. "I don't, either, luv. You...will be on my mind the entire time. After Alora, leaving you is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. And trust me, if we ever have pups, there will be no leaving you at all. That, I will fight."

Bringing her hands up, she stroked my arm. "I'm so sorry, Caden."

"Luv, it's the past. And I knew she wasn't my true mate. I knew something would eventually pull me away from them. I just didn't expect fate to be that cruel to two innocent children."

"Is there any chance the children could still be alive?" she asked quietly.

I could only remember bits and pieces of that day, so I always told myself no so as to avoid the pain. Feeling agitated, I stood up and paced.

"If they are, they're probably better off without me."

Turning to me, there were tears in her eyes as well as confusion. "Caden, they're your children."

"They're my past," I snapped.

The wolf in me was also getting agitated. He'd taken over my body that night in fury and rushed us away from the ruin of our home. He blamed himself for the death of his offspring.

She shook her head. "How can you be so callous about this?"

"Because if I were a better a father and deserved those two boys, I would have stayed to make sure! I didn't! I took off, and here I am. Disgraced for my failure."

Swallowing hard, she stared at the floor. "You want them to be alive, don't you?"

I took a deep breath to calm down so that I could stop yelling at her. Neither of us needed it. "Leah, I had several friends that would have checked on us after not hearing from us. They would have known what happened. And if the boys were alive, those friends would have come forward when we visited. They're gone. And it's my fault, something I will live with for the rest of my life."

After a long moment, she stood up to walk to me. I turned away but she still wrapped her arms around my waist. Warm lips pressed into my spine.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Caden. I should know better."

Hanging my head, again I was ashamed of myself. If only I had resisted Alora in the first place, I wouldn't have to bear this sympathy, this burden of shame. If I had just waited for a few more years. Dominic's third birthday was coming up. My unborn son would have probably turned one some time in the summer. My chest constricted at the thought.

"Don't be sorry, luv."

"Well, I am. So sorry for all you've lost."

I turned in her arms to grasp her to me. "You're right. I did lose. But I also gained. Not many people are allowed a second chance. My boys are gone. I won't forget, ever. But I can't not go on and not have more children just because I lost them. Alora would understand."

"So...you do want kids? With me?" She snorted. "If I can even have them."

Leaning back, I just stared at her. "Are you joking? Of course I do! I love you. And you can have them. I can smell your hormones rising and falling. Just because you don't get your period, doesn't mean you can't have kids. You're part wolf. Your body is different."

Her smile was soft and genuine. I had a feeling not many people got a chance to see that smile. "I love you, so much." She nudged her hip against mine. "Sooo, what have you got planned for today?"

"Nothing much. It's my off day, and I went for a run. I thought you were on patrol for most of the day?"

She shrugged. "Seth sent me home after I kept screaming at him."

"Ah, taking orders from your baby brother now, are you?"

"Oh shut up. I have a soft spot for him now."

"You mean a soft_er_ spot."

She rolled her eyes.

Capturing her face in my hands, I kissed her lips. "Well, I suppose my plans have changed from doing nothing to doing...you," I whispered against her lips.

She shivered delicately in my grip. Such delicacy she only showed me, behind closed doors. And I liked it.

For the winter months, she'd started growing her hair longer so that her wolf had longer fur. It amused me that human and wolf lengths matched. But I liked her hair longer. It softened her, the edge leaving her, bringing out her femininity.

Though it was winter, she'd tossed on a pair of short shorts that had once lived a life as jeans and a white tank that accented her caramel skin beautifully. Every time I saw her, I just wanted to lick that skin, to taste its sweetness. That's why we made the deal to stay separated when dealing with business. It was safer that way. In the privacy of home, however, the loving was a different story.

My fingers tightened on the skin of her waist as I pressed a kiss into those plush lips. She sighed into my mouth, opening herself to me. My tongue plunged into the depths of her mouth, dancing over her tongue, slipping and sliding.

"Caden," she said on a sigh, her fingers scraping over my chest and stomach. Reaching around, she skimmed over my back, my spine, and across the waist of my jeans. Jeans that were quickly getting a little tighter.

My name on her lips was the most fattening of candies to my ears. Moving my lips to her jaw, I slipped my fingers to the front of her shorts. Her hands went to my hair and the nape of my neck, pulling me closer to her skin, slipping my lips down to her pulse point. Nibbling and sucking at that fine spot, I continued working at her shorts.

While one of her hands dug into my back, the other set of nails dug past my jeans and over my ass. The wanting of her just didn't make sense on a logical level. We'd barely gotten any sleep last night. And we'd made love again this morning just before she'd left for the patrol. It had been like that the entire time we'd been lovers, taking each other at least five times. Neither of us minded the lack of sleep, each for different reasons.

Turning, I backed her up against the bed until the backs of her knees hit and we went down. As soon as we landed, her legs locked around my waist and she arched her hips into my erection. We both moaned at the sensation.

"Take me, Caden."

"My pleasure," I growled into ther skin.

Growing my claws, I sliced through the denim easily, leaving it in ribbons around her hips. Since she'd dressed just after phasing, there were no panties to tear through. Just smooth, creamy caramel skin. No hair to be seen. Her hands reached between us to rip my jeans.

As soon as the long length of me was free, I slammed home without any guidance from my hands.

We both shouted at the plunge. Her tight, wet heat was thick, the walls pulsing around me as I fought for every exquisite inch. Blood seeped down my back from the scratches Leah's nails left in my skin. The liquid slid down my sides, smearing on our skin.

"Yes, Caden,_ yes_. Please."

Pressing my face into her hair, scenting caramel and woodsmoke, I released the control in my body, letting instinct take over. Over and over I pounded into her. My beast growled and snarled, pouring his scent out of my pores to surround her, to sink into her skin. Any of my kind would smell it and know what it was. A marking scent that only true mated males shared. Leah knew because I'd explained it to her when she'd asked.

Her grunts and moans echoed in my ears as I hefted my upper body up so that I could get more leverage to swing my hips. Her thighs tightened, squeezing around my waist, heels digging into my lower back. Those nails scratched down my back, and when she reached my ass, she dug in, pulling me to her, deeper inside her.

Opening my eyes, I found her watching me. Those bottomless black eyes were so full vulnerability that all I wanted to do was protect her, never let her do anything remotely dangerous. But I liked my balls where they were, so I never tried to keep her in the dark.

It was so hard to believe that this woman was it for me. So many nights I had loved Alora, had prayed for the true mate instinct to kick in, but it never did. Still, she had bore my children, and had died because of my inability to protect her. I wouldn't allow that to happen with Leah.

"Caden?"

Blinking rapidly, I looked down to find that I had stilled and Leah was watching me worriedly. "Sorry, luv."

"Don't apologize. Are you ok?"

Clearing my throat, I nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking too hard."

Reaching up, she slid a finger between my eyes. "Caden, I will never doubt that you can protect me if I really needed it."

Surprise colored my expression. "How did you-?"

"Know?" she finished with a smile. "Because we were just talking about your family and how you keep thinking it's your fault. It wasn't your fault no matter what you try to tell me. I love you, and I trust you with my life." Wrapping her other hand around the nape of my neck, she pulled my lips down to hers. "Now make love to me. Show me what I am to you."

A growl slipped from me, the wolf peeking out. "You're my female."

"Then prove it."

My hips moved in one swift motion, a deep thrust that I held just long enough to make her squirm.

"Oh, god, Caden."

"What am I?" I asked, swiveling my hips, moving my erection inside her, caressing those walls.

"Mine. My male."

The beast in me purred and moved my body, again pounding, hammering into her.

"You're mine, woman. You belong to no one else. Mine."

"Yours. So yours," she moaned, nails back to digging into my skin.

Each thrust was hard and deep, hitting the end of her, moving her entire body on the bed. The slapping of skin on skin was getting louder, sharper in my ears. Her heavy breathing, sighing, and moaning mixing in.

"Bite me."

Swimming to the surface out of the waves of lust and pleasure, I stared at her. "What?"

"Bite me. I want to be inside you the way you're inside me."

"You know what that means, don't you?"

She nodded. "Talked to Ethan. He said it was a marrying of the bond. And a sign from the female that the sex is good."

Chuckling, I asked, "And you're sure about this? We'll be lifemates in my world."

"We're already lifemates in mine."

Growling, my hips picked up their punishing rhythm once more as I bent my head over her shoulder where it met her neck. The scent of caramel filled my nose and my mouth watered.

"Ready?"

"Almost. So close, Caden, so damn close. Faster, please."

Loving when she begged for more, I had no choice but to give her what she was after. I picked up my pace and her breathing became erratic. My body was tightening up. Lower back and stomach screaming for release. Erection burning where it was buried deep inside her. My breathing wasn't any better than Leah's.

She was so close yet that one drop hadn't been added for her to overflow. Reaching between us, I pressed my thumb over that sensitive bundle of nerves, and she screamed, body jerking.

As she bucked against me, nails digging in, I bit her shoulder. The moment her blood hit my tongue, my own orgasm shattered everything. With a wild growl, my body kept pumping even as I emptied out inside her. The thick liquid of her blood slid down my throat as I poured my own thick liquid into her. In that moment, I was nothing but animal. The marking scent roared throughout the room, filling my nose.

Finally, after several minutes, I collapsed on her, only aware enough to lean to the side so as not to crush. The wound in her neck was still bleeding, so leaned forward to lap at the marks. She smiled, eyes closed, and sighed.

"Alright, luv?"

"So alright." She turned on her side so that we were facing each other. "I love you, and I'm sorry that I got mad at you. If you trust their decisions, then I will, too."

"Thank you."

She smiled. "Welcome."

I frowned.

"What?" she asked.

"Your shirt. I actually left it on this time."

Her laugh was deep and beautiful. Reaching down, she tugged it over her head. My mouth watered again as her nipples pearled from the cool air.

Those dark eyes became darker as I growled.

Her voice was deep and sexy as she said, "I think it's my turn to bite you."

And she swung herself over my hips.

**JPOV**

I felt much better leaving Nessie today than I had the day before. This time, I felt like she understood where I had been coming from, what my whole speech meant. Making her cry and hurting her hadn't been my goal, but I had needed her to understand what exactly she meant to me. And I had meant every word.

"Jake, can I be honest with you?"

I hated those questions. "Sure. What's up?"

Walker sighed, staring into a glass case with Haleigh clinging to his leg, face likewise pressed to the glass. "I'm worried."

"About?"

"Tomorrow. What if something happens? Maybe a few males should stay down as well."

I'd been having the same thoughts. More males than just those few running the patrol line needed to stay down with the women. Adam and Derek would be staying with Sadie and Blake to guard Nessie. With Walker's pack combined with mine, we had a little over one hundred and sixty wolves. Splitting them in half wouldn't be too bad. Eighty wolves on the rez and eighty with us. Not bad.

I nodded. "What were thinking?"

"Half?"

"I think we're on the same brainwave," I said.

He chuckled. "Good. I thought I was going nuts."

"Oooooo," Haleigh murmured.

Walker bent down, knowing this was serious. This was the fifth shop we'd been in but Haleigh hadn't uttered a single approval about anything until now.

"What is it, baby girl?"

She pointed to a ring that was sitting alone. The tag said white gold and black diamonds. It was actually pretty awesome. A long rectangle was cut out of the surface to fit the nine black diamonds.

"You like that one?" he asked her.

She nodded fervently. "It's pretty."

"It sure is. And I think it's perfect."

When the sales guy, John if I remembered correctly, came over, he looked at me. He'd seen me in here before with Alice and Bella. Behind Walker's back, I pointed at the ring and nodded with a wink. He smiled and nodded before walking forward.

"Hello, sir," he said to Walker with a hand held out. "I'm John. How may I help you today?"

Walker shook his hand. "Walker. I'm shopping for my woman. We're getting married tonight and I wanted something special." Petting Haleigh's hair, he looked down at her. "This little one is helping me out and she picked this one."

"Well, I must say, your little girl has good taste."

I expected Walker to correct the man on being Haleigh's father, but he didn't. He just smiled down at her when she grinned up at him.

"That she does. So, talk to me about it."

John went through all the stats, the pro, the cons. And then the price which Walker sort of coughed at.

"Well, that's a bit-"

"We'll take it," I said.

John went to grab the papers.

Walker turned to me. "Jacob, I can't-"

I shook my head. "You can't, not all of it. But Alice handed me the credit card in my name this morning at my place. And if you refuse, you'll have to answer to her. If it'll make you feel better, you can pay me back."

"Sir, if you will fill these out, please."

Walker just looked at me for a moment. And then he looked down at Haleigh whose face radiated joy. No way he could deny her.

And he didn't.

We both had to fill stuff out since it was going on the card.

"Pay in full," I said to John when he took the card.

Not even a blink. He just bowed from the neck. "Of course, Mr. Black."

"Oh and Christa's ring size is a six. I found out from Morgan."

Walker nodded. "Thanks, man. This is...you didn't have to do this."

"Yes, I did. Christa is one of mine, and I wasn't there to protect her when she needed it most. You can pay me back, Walker."

He held his hand out and I took it.

"Very well, gentlemen. It seems as if the only thing left is the sizing."

Walker cleared his throat. "She wears a six."

A grin spread over John's face. "It seems fate is in your favor. This is already sized at a six."

John cleaned the ring and slipped it into a black velvet box. We each shook his hand before walking out. Outside, I picked up Haleigh and watched Walker study the box.

"How does it feel?" I asked with a grin.

"Like it's burning a hole in my pocket without even being in it."

Chuckling, I said, "Oh yeah. Now you know how I felt carting around my mother's ring for Ness. I was praying it fit because of my mother's superstition."

He tucked it into his pocket. "I just hope she likes it."

"Dude, you and Haleigh picked it out. She'll love it. She'll probably kill me if you tell her the price, but she'll love it." I clapped his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get some food. I'm starving."

"Meeeee, too," Haleigh sang out, patting her tummy.

Walker and I chuckled.

"Well, then," I said tapping her nose with my finger, "you ever have pizza?"

Frowning, she shook her head.

I gave Walker a look. "We gotta educate this girl."

"Amen."

"There's a great pizza place about a block away."

An hour later, I was watching as Haleigh inhaled her fifth piece of pizza. Walker and I were just staring at her as sauce smeared all over her face. She giggled and licked her fingers. Luckily, we'd gotten the largest size they had, which was pretty big. Three humans wouldn't have been able to finish it, but three werewolves? Oh yeah. We were licking the plates.

"I like pizza," she said.

"Clearly."

"Alright, baby girl," Walker said. "Let's go get you cleaned up. Christa would kill me if I let out in public like this."

He picked her up and took her to the restroom. The waitress came back with the check and a take-home box only stare with wide eyes at the clean pan.

"Well, I guess you guys were hungry."

She'd been hitting on me the whole time we'd been here even though I knew for a fact she'd seen my wedding band. I tried not to chuckle at how Nessie would react if she were here. Best not to tell her about it.

I patted my stomach and smiled. "Yes, ma'am. It was delicious. Thank you."

She bumped her hip into my arm. "I'll let the chef know."

I nodded and subtly scooted away as Walker and Haleigh came back. Haleigh was skipping, her hair flying out behind her. She hopped up into my arms.

"I'll be sure to bring my wife out here sometime. I'm sure she'd love it," I said as I grinned at Haleigh.

The waitress sort of drooped on herself, but kept her smile. She took the check from my hands. "It's on the house."

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Enjoy your day."

"Thank you." Though I suspected her number was on the check.

Digging out my wallet, I handed her a fifty. "Then that's for you. Have a good one."

She waved as we walked out.

"What was that about?" Walker asked taking Haleigh from my arms.

I shrugged. "She was hitting on me. I guess she snapped out of it when I said 'wife'. I bet her number was on that ticket. That's why she took it from me."

"Hey at least she took it well. Most women huff and puff."

"Can we go home now? I wanna see Christa," Haleigh asked just before a big yawn took her voice.

Walker nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I was just thinking the same thing."

Amen. Today, being away from Ness was hard, especially after what had happened yesterday. But I knew she'd want to be with Christa today, so I'd offered to take Walker ring shopping.

We could spend tonight together before I took off with the pack tomorrow.

**RPOV**

At around two in the afternoon, we all heard car doors slam outside Christa's house. We were in the living room on the couches, laughing at something Cricket had just said when the front door opened and Haleigh came rushing in, a giant grin on her face.

Christa caught her as she leapt into her arms. "I missed you," she said.

"Aw, sweetheart, I missed you, too. Did you have fun?"

Haleigh nodded. "Mhm. I ate pizza! It was messy, too. And the lady_ really_ liked Mr. Jacob."

Jacob made a choking sound. Crossing my arms over my stomach, I gave him a look. He shrugged. I laughed and shook my head.

The other girls laughed, too.

"I can see the pizza sauce on you. Was it good?"

Haleigh nodded. "Mhm. It was yummy. We ate it all."

"Good. I'll remember to make you some one night."

Grinning, Haleigh leaned forward to press a wet kiss to Christa's lips and then wriggled out of her grasp. As she ran for her room, she yelled, "We also found a ring!"

Christa shook her head as she gave me a look. I laughed. And then she went after Walker, hands going for his pockets.

"Where is it?" she demanded greedily.

Walker laughed and backed up, agilely avoiding her fingers. "What, are you gonna molest me now? You don't get it until tonight, woman."

She growled playfully and pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Fine. Alice is making my dress, so get out."

He gave her a face of shock.

She shrugged. "You can't see it. She's already being nice in letting us see each other. Might not wanna push our luck."

Wrapping his arms around her, he nodded. "Good idea. I like my head attached to my body."

"Me, too," she whispered, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Jacob came up to stand beside me. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," I said leaning into him.

He wrapped his arm around me and put the fingers of his free hand under my chin to lift my face. "You can look at me, Ness. Nothing's changed there. You're still my wife, my equal."

"I know."

"Then, look at me."

Swallowing hard, my gaze met his. And I wanted to cry all over again. The fact that I let him down, that I wasn't the alpha female he needed, that I was still acting like the stupid teenage girl when I'd promised not to, killed and shamed me. I hadn't been the mate or the wife he'd needed, the wife I'd vowed to be the day we got married.

Pulling me to him, he took me outside, telling Walker to meet him out there in a few minutes, that he needed a moment with me.

Once we were outside, he turned to me, keeping arms wrapped around me. "Nessie, what's wrong?"

The tears threatened to spill over. Looking away from him, I wiped at my eyes and shook my head.

Reaching up, he moved my hands to replace them with his thumbs to wipe my eyes. "Hey, come on, now. Talk to me. Don't hide it away. We promised. Remember?"

Damn. He was right. We did promise.

But I couldn't look at him as I said, "I just...I feel like I failed you. Like I've broken every promise I ever made to you." Now the tears fell in earnest, even as I still didn't meet his eyes. "H-how can you even stand to look at me?"

His hands tightened on my face, trying to force me to look at him. When I didn't, he moved his face in front of mine.

"Baby, you haven't failed me. Not at all. And you haven't broken promises. Our two main promises were to not lie to each other and to always fight to come back to the other. We've both done that. I look at you because I love you, and because you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. If there's one thing I wish, it would be for you to project to me more often. I love your thoughts, your mind. Nessie, I didn't want you to think that you failed me. Baby, no. That's not what that was about. I just wanted you to understand what I need from you, how much I need you to watch out for yourself, how much I need you. That's all. Our world is changing, and it's understandable that you need to adjust. I'm adjusting, too."

He pulled my into his arms and I buried my face in his chest.

"I just want to be enough for you, to be what you need."

He squeezed me. "You are, baby. You're everything I need. Do you not remember what I told you last night? That your beating heart is what keeps me alive? I meant every word. If I have to, I'll write it down for you. Have it framed. Whatever I need to do to get you to remember."

"I remember," I whispered. "Every word."

"Good." He smiled. "Now, I want my Nessie back. My strong, proud, head held high wife. No more of this not meeting my eyes and being quiet. This is isn't you. My whole point was to get you to trust my decisions, not to change your behavior. I don't want a permanently submissive wife. I want the fire, the passion that I love."

His face was gentle, but the smile was all amusement. He was trying to make me laugh, to make me feel like myself, to joke with me. And it worked. I choked out a laugh while his thumbs still stroked under my eyes.

The Jacob-y grin that I loved so much, that was so rare now days, shined down on me. Warmth flooded me when I saw his eyes. Love engulfed me, wrapped around me, and I felt myself come back to life. My husband didn't see me as a failure. He loved me, and just wanted the best for me, wanted to protect me. No more rash actions for me.

"There she is," he whispered. "There's the woman I married."

Trying to hold back the grin but unable to hold the blush, I said, "Shut up, Jake."

"Never. I'll always tell you what you need to hear."

"Just kiss me."

"I think I can do that."

He did. Those soft lips pressed into mine gently at first. And when I opened to him, he deepened it. Again, that's what I needed. Something in me just let go and I flung my body against his, arms wrapping around his shoulders, fingers in his hair. He picked me up around the waist and swung me around. Breaking the kiss, I leaned my head back and laughed. He pressed a kiss to my throat.

"I love you, Nessie. Always."

Looking down at him, I stroked his strong cheekbones.

"I love you, my alpha male."

**ChristaPOV**

Hours later, I was standing outside of Carlisle's study in a simple white sundress. The straps spread over my shoulder. The bust was corset-like with the skirt flowing out to my knees. Alice had twirled my curls through her fingers, adding flowers here and there, and it flowed down my back to my waist. I was scrubbed clean, skin smooth.

Air was getting hard to come by as Alice worked on my make-up.

"Hey, Alice," I said through barely opened lips.

"Yes?"

"Could you ask Jake to come out here, please?"

"Sure."

Jacob was my pack leader, the one to run my dad off, and the one who had been there for my first phase. If anyone was going to hand me off to another alpha male, I wanted it to be my first pack leader. Alice poked her head inside the room for just a second before she came back.

Two seconds later, Jacob stepped out. He looked good in his black slacks and dark grey button down. His smile was bright and shiny.

"Hey! You look beautiful."

A blush crept up my neck. "Thank you."

"What's up? Your man's getting a little anxious. Second thoughts?"

My heart fluttered that Walker was feeling the same way I did. "No, not at all," I rushed out. "I just thought that maybe you could walk me in. Walking alone seems a little...sad."

His features softened. "I would love to." He offered me his arm. "Shall we?"

Slipping my hand through his elbow, I smiled at him and gripped the bouquet of dark red roses. "I'm ready."

Alice grinned and opened the door with a flourish.

Jacob and I exchanged a look and smile before he led me into the room. My eyes didn't want to land on Walker just yet so I looked around. Caden and Leah were in a corner, smiling at me. Nessie was standing beside my empty spot. She was pretty in a dark grey spaghetti strap to match Jacob's shirt. Morgan was standing beside her in a crimson number that she looked vaguely uncomfortable in with Lucas beside her. Carlisle was standing behind the desk, and the rest of the Cullens were spread throughout the room. Shelby, Seth, and Brayden stood next to Caden and Leah. Tricia and Embry were next Walker.

Finally, since I was almost in front of them, I looked at Walker. His dress shirt was white and crisp as were his slacks. The white made his skin darker than it really was. The shirt was open around his throat, allowing me to see it as it worked through swallowing hard. Gaze moving up to his eyes, I teared up just as he was clearly doing. He cleared his throat.

Wrapped around his leg was Haleigh. Her hair was partially pulled back with a white bow. Her dress was light pink with dark purple accents. Even the doll clutched to her chest had been cleaned up and had a matching outfit.

In a moment, I was standing in front of him. Walker held out his hand and Jacob placed mine in it before moving off to stand with his own wife.

"God, you look beautiful," Walker choked out, fingers squeezing mine.

"Shall we begin?" Carlisle asked gently.

"Absolutely," Walker and I said at the same time.

The room chuckled.

And so he began. Walker and I had picked the traditional vows of repeating after Carlisle. The entire time, Walker held my hand. Haleigh had moved to stand between us, one arm wrapped around my leg, the other around Walker's.

"And now, Mr. Johnson, you may present your bride with her ring."

Walker took a deep breath and anxiously dug into his pocket to pull out the little black box. With trembling fingers, he opened the lid and my breath caught. The most beautiful piece of jewelry I'd ever seen was nestled inside. A white gold band with black diamonds set into it.

I gasped as Walker took it out, took my hand in his, and slipped it onto my finger. It was a perfect fit.

"It's gorgeous," I breathed.

"As are you," he whispered back.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Walker, you may now kiss your bride."

Grinning, Walker swept me into his arms, tilting me over, and claimed my lips. The kiss was everything I'd dreamed it would be. I was kissing my husband!

The room cheered and threw confetti on us. I could hear Haleigh giggling. Tilting me back up, Walker bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

"Walker, Christa, if you wish, you may now also sign the adoption papers."

Haleigh was being held between us, an arm each wrapped around our necks.

"Is this what you want, Haleigh?" Walker asked.

Rubbing her cheek against his, she nodded. "Yes."

Carlisle handed the pen to me first. I signed my name, my new name since Walker and I had signed the marriage license earlier in the day. I was now a Johnson.

Walker signed his name afterward.

Carlisle took the paper and grinned. "Well, I now pronounce all of you the Johnson family."

Tricia squealed from beside us and ran over to us. "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy. So excited." She was crying as she flung herself on us.

Walker handed Haleigh over to me so he could hug her. "Just remember not to tell Mom and Dad yet."

She chuckled. "Yeah I know."

One by one, everyone in the room came to congratulate us and play with Haleigh. She skipped around the room, hugging and kissing people, dancing around in her dress. Esme handed out champagne in flutes.

Walker and I shared our drinks, laughing as we wrapped our arms together.

"I love the ring, Walker. It's beautiful," I said while everybody was talking amongst themselves.

He looked relieved. "Good. Haleigh actually picked it out. She found it first."

I looked down at her. "Really?"

She nodded shyly into Walker's leg.

I knelt down in front of her. "I love it, Haleigh. You did a very good job."

Grinning, she flung herself into my arms. "I love you."

Tears threatened me once more. "I love you, too, sweetheart."

"Are we a family now?"

Walker knelt down on the other side of her. "It's official. You can't get rid of us now."

She grinned again. "Yay!"

"There's food downstairs," Esme said. "Why don't we let the new family have a moment."

Those were the magic words. Everyone started for the door. Except Caden. He'd been on his way out before he'd looked up at a portrait next to the study's door. His body had gone rigid as he stared at it. After a couple minutes, Leah managed to pull him out even though he remained rigid. Something about the painting had upset him, but what?

"Christa?" Walker's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Everything good?"

Playing with my wedding band, I nodded and smiled.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. I'm finally with my family."

"Family," he repeated with a nod.

"Family," Haleigh echoed with a finality that rang with truth.

Finally, I had a family of my own. A husband and a little girl that he and I were going to raise together.

Everything was fine. For tonight.

* * *

**Totally loved this chapter. Especially Ness and Jake. But what did we think about Caden and Leah? Hmmm? Anywhozzle, please review! They make me happy and help keep the story going. Love all of you. And I hope that any of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a good one! xoxoxoxoxo**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16! Sorry I'm so late again. It was just really hard to write this one when I am ****_dreading_**** the next one. But I just have to grit my teeth and get it done if I want to finish this story. This chapter is short, yes. But I will tell you to prepare for the next one. I am. I will try to get it posted asap, but I don't know when that will be.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**RPOV**

The festivities that night were all about life. Dancing, drinking, eating, laughing happened all through the house. Wolves howled and yipped, dancing around outside in the leftover snow. Walker's pack had come to offer their congratulations. Bianca had told Walker that the pack would be honored to hold their own ceremony for their alpha couple. A ceremony that was traditional.

At one point in time, however, Caden had pulled Jacob outside hurriedly. The man didn't look happy and Leah was left with a worried look on her face. Dad had excused himself to follow them out, his own frown pulling his brows down low. I'd wanted to follow, but knew Jake would tell me later. Besides, I needed this kind of joy. Tomorrow morning, Jacob and half the pack would be heading up to Denali. Along with the males of my family. Tomorrow, we'd all be a worried bunch of females. But tonight, we had our men, and we were going to enjoy them.

Jacob, Caden, and Dad were only gone for about ten minutes. Caden looked a bit calmer but not much. Jacob beelined for me, wrapping his arm around my waist. Haleigh and Claire ran around us, giggling. Claire had taken Haleigh under her wing, teaching her how to deal with the wolves, how to be tough. They were quickly becoming best friends.

"Mind if I ask the bride for a dance?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Go for it."

He kissed me before going for Christa. She grinned up at him, put her drink down, and put her hands on his shoulders. He twirled her around the room, grinning and laughing.

"Would you like to dance?"

Looking around, I found Walker standing behind me with a hand held out and grin.

"Your husband took my wife so I'll just take his."

I laughed and took his hand. "I would love to." Once he pulled me into his arms and I was leaning on his shoulder, I asked, "So how does it feel to call her that?"

"Amazing and unreal. I'm eighteen and I'm a husband."

"And an adoptive father."

His eyes widened. "I am, aren't I? Wow." He shook his head. "How do men give this up? How do they cheat?"

He twirled me then dipped me. "Because they're idiots."

"I think you're right. I could never let them go."

Once he righted me, we both looked over to Haleigh standing on Uncle Emmett's shoes as he spun around, and Christa still dancing with Jacob.

"You really adore Haleigh, don't you?"

He watched her with a soft smile. "I do. She put her faith in me first and she was all alone. How could I just leave her like that? Unprotected and alone? Neither of us could. And she brought me and Christa together so much faster than anything else could. She's happy and safe. I guess I know how Mom and Dad felt taking in Tricia. They just wanted to give her the best chance."

"You think you can give Haleigh that?"

He gave me a look. "You don't think we can?"

"I didn't say that. I know that you can. I was just asking what you thought. Your reasoning."

He shrugged. "Like I said, she picked us. And when a child picks you, it gives you this feeling like you can do anything. She never met us before and yet she believed in us. Who are we to be selfish and turn her away when we have the things she needs?"

Grinning, I gripped his shoulder hard. "You two are going to be great."

"Thanks. I hope everything works, that we didn't move too fast."

"Well, whatever happens, you have the support of both packs. We'll be there when you need us."

He shook his head, eyes watching me with a type of wonder. "You and Jake have been so good to us, to me. Thank you."

I shrugged. "That's what we do."

"Yeah, well, you ever need anything, you can come to us."

I grinned appreciatively. "Thanks, Walker. So are you going to stop by the house on Thursday? If you guys are back by then?"

A horrified look crossed his face. "It's Thanksgiving! I completely forgot."

Chuckling, I patted his cheek. "It's ok. There are obligations that you guys have. We understand. If anything, we'll just push it back until you guys come home."

"We should only be gone a couple days. The trip is only to check on things up there."

"Well, we'll see."

A throat cleared beside us. Jacob was there, grinning.

"May I have my wife back? Yours is now available."

Walker chuckled, kissed my cheek, and gave Jacob my hand. "She's all yours."

"Thank you."

I was easily transferred to Jacob's arms. He wrapped me up against his chest. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I rested my ear over his heart.

"Promise me you'll be safe."

"I'll do my best, sweetheart."

Squeezing my eyes closed, I knew that was the best he could do. He was the alpha, therefore, he had to be on the front lines.

"I love you," he whispered. "If anything happens, I'll fight to get back to you."

"I know. I love you, too."

"Come on. I know tomorrow's going to be hard, but let's enjoy tonight."

I nodded. "Ok."

All night, the wolves and vampire celebrated even after Christa and Walker left with Haleigh. I'd been surprised that they hadn't asked someone else to watch her for at least a little while. But then I thought about it. Walker would want to spend the night with his two girls before he left tomorrow.

Early into the morning, Jacob and I decided to head out. Shelby and Seth followed us out with Brayden snoozing in his mother's arms. Once we got to split off to the cabins, we said our goodnights and went home. Sadie and Blake had melted into the woods while Adam and Derek stayed with us.

"So what was Caden all upset about?" I asked cuddled up next to Jake.

Jacob sighed, his arm tightening around me, his breath a white cloud in the air as the temperature kept dropping. "He saw one of the paintings in Carlisle's study. Of the Volturi. He recognized Caius."

"Caius? What about him?"

"Caden said it was Caius he saw after he found his family."

I gasped, a hand going over my mouth. "Caius killed his family? His babies?"

Jacob nodded. "That's what Caden remembers."

As we walked up to the porch, I just thought about that new bump in the road. If it really was Caius, he'd broken the truce that Aro had made, that they'd all agreed to. One of the big three had broken their own rules. I wonder how Aro would feel about that if it were to get back to him. How would he feel to know that Jane was doing Caius's bidding?

"This changes things, Jacob."

"How? You think you can just go to Aro and he'll believe you?"

"All he has to do is touch Caius to know everything."

"Ness-"

Before either of us could say anything else, Aunt Alice appeared on our door mat in front of us, the only things moving on her was her hair and clothing.

We both slid on the ice that had accumulated on the porch.

"Alice," Jacob scolded. "You gave me a heart attack."

She shrugged. "Sorry, but I saw something you might like to know."

"What is it?" I asked, righting myself against the porch railing.

"Jane is back at Aro's side. No signs of Tristan or Nyla, but Jane is back in Italy."

Jacob and I shared a shocked glance.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

My aunt actually grinned. "It means she's not here. And neither is Alec. Abigail is safe with us, but she's still healing and is still asking to be isolated just in case. We only need to worry about the wolves. For now."

"What do you mean, for now?" I demanded.

Now she sighed. "Jane is pissed. As is Caius. He's trying to find a reason to come back here and he just might sway Aro to do just that."

Jacob growled. "How?"

"The let's-check-on-things excuse. They've been hearing about some of the upset from here, but not the details obviously. Aro is curious. The more Jane and Caius talk, the more curious he gets."

Jacob's hands curled into fists, his arms shaking, jaw clenched. "If they come here, they'll find a way to take Ness. Especially being married to me. They might even find a way to try to take you. And Bells."

I gripped his fingers to try to get him to calm down. It helped a little. The shaking managed to lessen.

"Jacob, for now we're safe. You and Walker still need to go up to Denali tomorrow. Check on our cousins."

He pointed at her. "You watch after my wife."

She nodded. "We will, Jacob. We'll tie her down if we have to."

"I'm standing right here," I said indignantly. "And if Jacob tells me not to do something, I won't. I learned my lesson, thank you very much."

My aunt sighed. "I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to worry about Jane right now. One less worry helps. Are her guards staying?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. Walker and I have decided to split the packs. Half here, half with us. Eighty apiece."

Aunt Alice nodded. "That sounds good, much better than taking the majority of the packs."

"Is that all you needed?" Jacob asked rather aggressively.

Aunt Alice raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Yes."

"Good. I want the rest of the night with my wife. Please."

I traded a glance with my aunt before she nodded and left, just like that.

"Jacob, that was rude."

He scrubbed a hand over his hair. "I know. I'm just pissed off. Jane and Caius are right under Aro's nose. This whole shit is starting over again, and I can't lose you. We barely won last time. And that was only because Aro knew he was going to die. There's no guarantee of that happening again."

Before he could work himself into a rage, I rushed to him and wrapped my body around his. "Jacob, we'll find a way, okay? I won't just give up. I won't. We'll fight this. There has to be a way."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around me. "Ness-"

"No. You wanted me to be the stubborn woman again. Well, here I am." I squeezed and shook him the best I could. "We will get through this. And right now, we're going to spend the rest of our time together in bed or on the couch. I don't care where. I just want you inside me."

Letting out a choked noise, he stared down at me. "Well, tell me how you really feel," he said with a laugh.

Even though I had a key of my own, I dug into his pants pocket, brushing my knuckles against his growing erection, and grabbed the key to the cabin.

"Oh, I'm going to show you how I really feel."

**The Next Morning**

**TriciaPOV**

Sleep had eluded me all night. Embry, too. We'd stayed up all night just wrapped around each other. Muted sunlight crawled up the wall and over the ceiling as dawn came. Dread settled in my gut. Embry wasn't one of the wolves staying down here. Soon, we'd be up and around, and Embry would be dropping me off at Christa's house. And then he would be gone, going up to Denali.

Staring out the window, I ran my fingertips over his bare chest. His fingers played up and down my spine through the shirt of his that I was wearing.

"Tricia, I want you to listen to Nessie and Christa, okay?"

"I will," I whispered as tears gathered in my eyes. "What about Mom and Dad?"

He cleared his throat. "I called them while you were getting ready for the wedding. Convinced your mom to let you stay a little longer. We all think we'll only be gone for a couple days. Walker talked to them, too."

"Will they be protected?"

I felt him nod. "Jacob is putting a couple wolves on the house."

"Good."

Silence enveloped us again for a few minutes. The tears seeped out of the corners of my eyes, slipping over my nose and onto his skin. His arm tightened around me, lips pressing into my hair.

"It's only a search party, Tricia. We need to see if the Cullens' family is ok. And to find Tristan."

I snorted and sniffled at the same time. "Please. When has anything been that simple? I just have a bad feeling about this. I don't want to be away from you."

He squeezed me again. "And I don't want to be away from you, either. But, the danger is still around and I can't just opt out, Trish. I can't. I have a duty to my land, to the pack, and to you. To keep you safe. And I will do what I have to." He kissed my forehead. "Come on. It's time to get up. We want to leave as early as possible. The sooner we leave, the sooner we come back."

Sighing, I followed him out bed and pulled on my jeans while he went into the bathroom, the water turning on. "You know, you better be back by Wednesday. I'm fully planning on being in bed with you all day and night."

He choked out a laugh. "You're really set on that, aren't you?"

"What, you don't wanna be with me?"

Leaning back from the sink so I could see his face, he gave me a look. "Do I really have to answer that?"

I shrugged. I knew he wanted me but maybe I was the one wanting more than he was.

Shutting off the water, he stalked toward me in the sweats he'd put on. He wrapped me up in his arms and tilted my chin up so I'd meet his eyes.

"Woman, I want you more than you could ever imagine. And while I'm gone, and in human form so they won't see how I imagine you naked, I will be thinking of every way to take you once I get back. The moment we're alone, I'm all yours. And you're all mine."

I couldn't help the grin or the tears. "I'll be thinking about you, too."

He leaned down. "Good. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I met him halfway on my toes for a kiss.

"Mmm," he murmured as he licked his lips. "Best breakfast ever."

Laughing, I shook my head and pushed him back toward the bathroom.

**EmbryPOV**

My gut wrenched every time Tricia went out of my sight. Leaving her was going to rip me apart, but I kept telling myself the same thing I told her. That I had a duty to my home to protect it. I'd been given the gift of the wolf, and I had to use it the way it was meant to be used.

Finishing up in the bathroom, I went to find her. She'd packed her bag yesterday before her brother's wedding, and it was sitting at the foot of the bed. My heart hurt.

Walking into the kitchen, I slid on an old tank that I wasn't fond of since we'd be phasing on the way out. Tricia still had my dress shirt from last night on, and a pair of jeans. She'd rolled the sleeves up to what should have been her elbows but stayed at her wrists as she scrambled the eggs. We had just enough time for breakfast. After she poured the eggs into the heated pan, she went for the mixing bowl and the waffle maker.

"Do you have any vanilla extract?" she asked, searching one of the cabinets, going up on her tiptoes.

Standing over her, I reached up to the top shelf. She arched back into me, her ass pressing back into my hips. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath to try to calm my body. Didn't help. I hardened to the point of pain against her. Her head fell against my chest, platinum blonde hair cascading down my torso. She grinned up at me, her ice green eyes sparkling as if she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

"Thank you, baby," she said sweetly.

I shook my head, eyes widening. "You are the devil in disguise," I said handing her the bottle.

"Only for you," she replied taking it from me.

Biting her lip she went back to making breakfast, stirring the eggs and the waffle mix. Stepping up behind her again, I moved the fall of her hair to the side, over her shoulder and kissed her neck. She sighed contentedly.

"My little devil," I whispered.

I saw the grin from the corner of my eye. She moved just enough to press a kiss to my lips. "My guardian angel," she said just as softly before pressing her lips to mine.

Though I wanted to dispute it, the nicknames had a sort of irony and a ring of truth. I kept myself wrapped around her as she moved back and forth, hands roaming up under the shirt to her flat stomach and smooth skin. She was a tiny female. The fingers of both my hands could wrap around her waist with thumbs and forefingers nearly touching. But she was curvy. An hourglass figure with breasts that looked to be a handful (I wouldn't know...yet) and hips that flared out from her waist and fit the cups of my hands. Every inch of her that I'd held so far, fit against me to perfection. It was amazing how someone so small could fit me so perfectly.

Moving back, she nudged my hips with her ass. "Go sit down. I'll get you a plate."

Unwinding myself from her, I went to the fridge. "What do you want to drink?"

"Um, orange juice, please."

Grabbing the bottle, I poured two glasses and went to the table with them just as she placed a plate of food in front of me. Two waffles and a heap of eggs. Snapping as if she forgot something and then remembered, she went to the fridge and dug out the ketchup.

"You want some on your eggs?"

"Sure."

Breakfast was quiet as we ate, her foot rubbing up and down my leg. She grinned at me over a bite of waffle. Pure temptation. That was exactly what she was. Her birthday was just days away and I was already imagining her in my bed, underneath me. Everything around us had turned into an item used for nefarious deeds, such as the syrup currently sitting in front of me, currently coating her lips. I'd had thoughts about other women before, but there was something different about the fact that she was my imprint and for sure the one and only woman that I would ever be with.

A howl broke through my thoughts. Not a voice I knew. Caden maybe.

Luckily we were done with breakfast. I helped her clean up the dishes quickly. While she went to grab her bag, I dug through the junk drawer and found the extra key to my house.

"Ready?"

Gripping the key, I turned to her with a smile. "Yeah." I held my hand out for the bag. "Give it up."

"Embry-"

"Now, woman."

Sighing, she handed it to me. Before she could pull her hand back, I dropped the key into it. "If you need a break from all the girls, come here. I've asked Kiera, one of our wolves, to watch after you. I value my privacy so she's agreed to stay outside. She's good at protection, trained with Sadie and Alana."

For a moment all she did was gape. "But this is...this is a-"

"Key to my house, yes." I curled her fingers around it. "And I want you to have it. I already told you this. You can come here whenever you need some alone time whether or not I'm here. I trust you."

She gave me sad/happy pout. "You better come back."

Dropping the bag, I wrapped her in my arms. "I will, devil. I will. I love you."

Her arms snaked around my waist. She snuggled her face into my chest and sniffled. "Love you, too, angel."

I chuckled. "Because that's masculine."

She laughed, too.

Another howl ripped through the air.

We both sighed.

"Time to go. They're getting restless."

Fifteen minutes later, we were kissing goodbye outside of Christa's place. As were Walker and Christa, and Jacob and Nessie. Shelby and Brayden were going to stay with Emily and Sam since they had more baby supplies. All the females were strictly told to stay on the rez. They couldn't even go up to the Cullen place. Even the Cullen women were staying on the rez.

As we pulled apart, Morgan and Lucas walked up arm in arm. Morgan looked relaxed and not the least bit upset that her man was about to take off. She'd always had that kind of confidence, but I could read her well enough to know that she was at least a little worried. Every time her eyes flicked to him, that tiny bit of worry sparked up.

"No!" a little voice echoed out.

We all turned to find Haleigh clinging to Walker, sobbing into his shoulder as he tried to hand her off.

"I don't want you to leave!"

He stroked her back and rocked from side to side. "Shhh, baby girl. It's ok. I'll be back."

Christa was stroking her hair, barely holding back tears of her own.

Jacob tugged off his wedding band, slid it onto a chain around Nessie's neck, gave her one last deep kiss, and then forced himself to let her go.

"Walker," he ordered gruffly as he turned away from his own wife.

Squeezing Haleigh, he closed his eyes and held on before looking at Christa. She stepped forward and pulled Haleigh away. Though she clung to Walker, it didn't help. Christa was stronger.

"No!"

"Haleigh, sweetheart, it's ok. We'll both miss him."

Haleigh turned and clung to Christa. Walker also handed Christa his ring before giving her one last kiss and ripping away from his two women. Lucas followed with a last kiss to Morgan. Tricia moved against me and I looked back to her. She gave me a sad smile and went up on her tiptoes. Meeting her halfway, I kissed her.

"Embry, let's go," Jacob barked.

"Love you," I whispered quickly.

"Love you, too. Go," she whispered back.

Wrenching myself away from her, I phased and followed my alpha.

**JPOV**

In the woods, I waited for Walker to shift and follow. Embry had made it to my side in record time after I'd ordered him to hurry. Seeing the strength in my wife's eyes had given me the strength to pull away.

After a few minutes, we were all hurrying up to meeting point. Because not all the wolves had the telepathy thing, we'd gone over the plan before taking off. Caden, Walker, and I had divided the packs into groups of three. We'd come in from the east, west, and south. There was no way to come in from the north, but we'd close in as fast as we could if there was anything to close in on.

_Let's get this over with. I want to get home to my wife._

We all put on a burst of speed. In only a matter of moments, we reached the meeting spot. Caden and the others were waiting for us. I barely slowed down enough for him to join us. As we ran, more wolves poured out of the woods, following us. We'd split up just before we reached the Makah rez.

Emmett, Edward, and Jasper melted in with the wolves. Both Carlisle and Edward had medical training, therefore, it made sense that one of them came with and the other stayed behind.

As we ran, all I could think about was Nessie. She'd pulled Christa and Haleigh back, wrapping an arm around Christa's shoulders. My gut tugged, and that wasn't a good sign. I didn't feel good about this. Something was up. The Denali clan wasn't answering calls, which was never good.

Eventually, we made it to the meeting point. The groups split up and went around the Makah rez. All of the males of my pack were trying not to think of the loved ones they were leaving behind. I'd tried to get Seth to stay down on the rez, but he refused. Even Shelby had been insistent on no special treatment even as she'd cried into her son's blanket.

_Jacob, please,_ Seth begged.

_Sorry, man. Just thinking about how brave she is._

_Our females are strong,_ Embry said._ All of them._

Seth and I both mentally agreed. Caden, who had pulled out in front of us, yipped. Apparently we were too slow.

Putting on a burst of speed, we all caught up and pushed on toward our destination.

**ChristaPOV**

After the men had gone, Haleigh had cried herself to sleep against my shoulder. I collapsed onto the couch next to Nessie. Now, it was a waiting game. Rocking Haleigh, I laced my fingers and twisted my wedding ring around. Nessie had given me a chain like hers so that I could hang Walker's ring around my neck. It was heavy and warm between my breasts, over my heart.

Morgan plopped down beside me with a bowl of popcorn.

I looked at her incredulously. "How are you so calm about this?"

She gave me a look before stuffing her face with popcorn. "Please," she said after swallowing. "It's just a search and rescue type of deal. They'll be back soon enough."

"It could be a trap," Tricia said, her arms wrapped around herself. She was drowning in Embry's dress shirt from last night, cuddled into it.

Morgan nodded. "Of course, but our men are good fighters. They have to be. That's what they're made for. Have a little faith."

"I have faith in Embry," Tricia snapped. "And my brother, but that doesn't mean I can't worry."

Morgan's eyebrows met her hairline and she held her hands up in surrender. "My apologies."

"Ladies, calm down," Nessie ordered. "They just left. If we keep this up, we'll end up on Jerry Springer before they get back."

Immediately, Tricia deflated. "She's right. Sorry."

"Me, too," Morgan said. She shrugged. "I'm worried, too. None of us like to be away from our imprints. It's ground into us that we protect them. The males are good because they are protecting us, but we females who imprinted are going to go nuts."

"Didn't Lucas imprint on you?"

Morgan nodded. "Yeah, so he's ok. But me? I'm chomping at the bit. I'll end up running patrols with Leah."

"I would be, too, if I didn't have this one," I said resting my cheek on Haleigh's hair.

"If you need to run, Christa, I can watch her," Nessie said.

"Thanks, but I don't think she could handle it right now."

"I think you're right. Walker's already gone," Morgan said, reaching over to brush Haleigh's hair gently.

Nessie stood up and clapped her hands. "Ladies, we can't just sit here and worry. Why don't we work on menus and such for Thanksgiving. Our men will be hungry when they come back."

Immediately, Morgan hopped up. "I quite agree."

Deciding Nessie was right, I tucked Haleigh into her bed with her doll. And then I realized what had been off earlier. She'd left it in the house when she'd run after Walker. My eyes widened. She'd actually left the doll, her most prized possession, in order to see Walker one last time. My heart melted. Poor thing.

Turning out the light and closing the door, I joined the other women in the kitchen.

**ShelbyPOV**

Brayden and Leila had gone down for naps. Both of them were in the same room. Alice had bought a different crib for Brayden and had brought it down with her. Emily was currently making some hot chocolate and a late breakfast. Jacob had put Sam in charge since Seth had gone with him and was currently out meeting up with the pack.

My man was stubborn to his core, but I supported him even though everything inside me had wanted to beg him to stay here with me and Brayden. His sense of loyalty and need to protect us had kept my mouth shut, however.

"Here, sweetie," Emily said, handing me a mug.

"Thank you." The smile was forced and she saw it.

Coming around the couch, she sat beside me, one elbow on the back of the couch. "Worried?"

Blowing the hot liquid, I managed a nod.

Emily patted my knee. "I know, sweetie. Worrying about Sam was a full time job. It was worse when I was pregnant. After Leila was born and he vowed not to phase so he could grow old with me, I took my first deep breath."

"I don't have that luxury. I'm a werewolf, too. Apparently, my kind lives a while, too. Probably not the same rate as Sam and the others, but longer than a human. Seth won't stop phasing for a long time and I haven't shifted for the first time yet. And Brayden? He's the best of both worlds. Barely any human in him."

Her grip on me tightened. "Shelby, Seth is a fighter. You are here. And your son is here. He'll come back. Jacob will bring him back. Those boys are my family, too. I'm worried about them just as much as you are. And I don't want Brayden to be without a father."

The thought of my son growing up without his father clenched my gut. My blood felt like ooze as it ran through my veins. I just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, that something was going to happen.

I prayed that whatever good karma I had would kick in and nothing happened.

The feeling in my gut didn't wouldn't go with the happy vibes.

**WalkerPOV**

As we ran, my sensitive nose picked up scents of both werewolf and vampire, each a few days old.

"Walker," Edward said. "It's time to split up. Take your group and head east. Caden, get your group and head west. Like we've gone over, the house is isolated on the mountain."

Roderick was in my group and hot on my heels. We both split from Jacob and the others, taking the rest of our group with us. The further east we moved, the less wolf we smelled. Vampire scents overpowered my sinuses making me want to gag.

As we moved north from this position, paralleling Jake and the rest just further east, the snow started to get deep. At first, only a little up my leg, but now it was up to my underbelly, fur soaking it up. Luckily my body heat kept me warm.

"We're getting close, Walker. All of you need to prepare yourselves." Jasper was keeping up with the rest of us.

Edward had, not surprisingly, gone with Jacob. Emmett had gone with Caden and the rest.

"Through these trees, we'll end up at the top of the mountain. We moved surprisingly fast to get here."

About two minutes later, we broke through the trees just as Jacob and Caden's groups did the same. For a moment, we all just stood there, breathing heavily. Nothing moved but the snow flying around from the wind. Jacob stared at Edward and Edward answered in return, having a conversation. After a few minutes, Jacob looked back at me and nodded before turning to Caden.

I looked back at my group and nodded toward the huge house in the center of the clearing. Though we were all separated into three groups, we moved as one. I led my group around to the far side of the house while Jacob took the front. Caden and the rest took the back.

Windows covered the house. From every angle we could see through it. Nobody and nothing inside moved. Everything was still except the snow. Jacob phased back to human, Edward handing him a pair of sweats that he quickly pulled on. Together, he, Edward, and Jasper went inside.

I watched closely as they walked around the house. Frowns tugged at their brows and the corners of their mouths. Looking back to Roderick, I managed to somehow tell him to stay there. When I made it to the house, I could see more details through the windows.

There was blood smeared on the walls, floors, and windows. I frowned. Vampires didn't bleed.

Furniture was overturned. Cracks in the plaster and a few windows. A mirror was smashed. The door leading into what looked like the kitchen was in pieces on the floor. Lamps and vases turned over or smashed.

Something had gone down. And the Denali's were missing.

Suddenly and simultaneously, Edward's head snapped up and the wolves in the woods started to snarl, snap, and growl. Jacob was out the door and phased in two seconds. All the wolves in the woods started to back up into the clearing, all of them faced out. As all three of the groups converged into one, I circled around and understanding dawned.

We were surrounded.

By red-eyed vampires.

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**I know! Another cliffie, but in my defense, I did warn you. Please review. I love them as I love you! My fans are awesome! xoxoxoxoxo**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17. The most difficult thing I have ever written in my life. Cried through the whole damn thing. Guys, this one might be short, but it packs one hell of an emotional punch. I will try to get the next chapter up as fast as possible but I am still recovering from this one so just bear with me. It hurts. A lot of you will be mad at me, but just stick with me. Watch for the next chapter.**

***Disclaimer***

**Not likely that you'll enjoy this one, but, please continue. It gets better. I promise.**

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**RPOV**

Tuesday. It was now two days later and none of Jacob's wolves would talk to me, even though I knew something had happened. I'd ordered them to tell me in as many different ways that I could think of, but I believed Jacob had ordered them not to say anything. He and I would be having a conversation when he came back. If he came back.

_No, dammit. When he comes back._

Bending down, I grabbed a handful of pebbles, and, in anger, flung them as hard as I could into the waves of First Beach. Sadie, Blake, Derek, and Adam were spread out down the beach.

Sighing, I sat myself down onto a log and wrapped my jacket tighter around myself. Underneath it, I was wearing one of Jacob's old hoodies. The weather had turned colder once more. Another storm moving in. Apparently snow was in the forecast for the holiday. Mother Nature must have been brutally pissed off this year.

Sadie sat next to me, crossed her arms and leaned them on her crossed legs.

"Can't you tell me anything?" I asked, neither of us looking at each other, but out at the waves.

I saw her shake her head out of the corner of my eye. "Sorry, Ness."

"He order it?"

Silence. Not even a nod or head shake.

"I figured."

"Look, he cut us off, Ness. We don't know much more than you do. And trust me, you don't want to know. I can't tell you even if you did."

"My husband and I are going to have a talk."

She laughed without humor. "Good luck with that."

I snorted. "I know, right?"

"I wish I could give you something, but I can't break the order. He actually used 'the voice' on us."

"So something did happen?"

Silence again.

"Awesome."

With that heavy silence between us, I felt like I should be hysterical and sobbing. But something inside me had finally clicked into place, probably from Jacob's speech the other night. If something had happened to him, I needed to step up. Of course, I did feel hollow, as if I were already distancing myself from whatever was going to happen.

Instead of dwelling on Jacob, I thought about all the females possibly losing their mates, children losing fathers.

Swallowing hard, I sat beside my guard and numbly watched the waves wash over the pebbles.

Jacob's ring sat heavily between my breasts. It was warm from being in contact with my skin for so long. And it made me think of him. Of the last night we were together.

The aches and bruises were still there. The marks of his teeth still set into my skin. I enjoyed every one of his marks on my body. And prayed that I'd feel them again.

But just in case, I would ingrain the feeling and sights of these into my mind for as long as I could.

**ChristaPOV**

All the females were cuddled down at Emily's place except for Nessie and Tricia. Nessie had gone to the beach, but nobody knew where Tricia had gone, except Keira. She'd followed the blonde out without a word. Abigail, the injured and starved vampire, had just randomly taken off with a sense of urgency. Lucy, the thirteen year old werewolf, had stayed quiet and at the edge of the group. Bianca was doing some research for her so that she could go back to her family and have a pack nearby for support.

I'd sent Haleigh outside with Claire. Craig and his son had gone out with them. We were all gathered around the coffee table, playing board games and being worried. The smiles were tense and the laughs forced.

Walker promised only two days. We were on day two and the wolves hadn't said a peep on whether or not they were coming back. Sam knew something, but wasn't spilling, saying that Jacob had given him an order. One thing was for certain, though. The man wasn't happy, was clearly upset about something.

Shelby was sitting beside me, feeding Brayden, a blanket draped over her. Nobody minded. Leila was sitting up in Emily's lap, smiling.

"Men are terrible with time estimation," Emil said, rolling the dice on the board game. "I'm sure they'll be back soon. Something probably just caught their attention. It's happened before."

"She's got a point," Morgan said. "Especially if something happened to Denalis. They might try to find them if they're close. They did say a search and rescue."

A ding from the kitchen signaled that the water chestnuts wrapped in bacon were ready. Emily had taken to making finger foods instead of actual meals since so many people kept coming and going. Those and spring rolls were her specialty. At least we had high metabolisms, otherwise we'd be fat by now.

She handed Leila to Morgan as she hopped up. A few minutes later, an entire platter was piled high with the toothpicked deliciousness was set on the other side of the long hand-carved coffee table.

Haleigh and Claire must have had internal alarms to tell them when food was ready because they both burst through the back door to gather around the platter.

"Careful," Emily warned. "It's hot."

Both girls were flushed, cheeks rosy from the cold air. Their hair was frizzed from their knit hats.

"Haleigh, you want some hot chocolate to warm up before you go back out?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, please."

I smiled at her. "Claire, what about you?"

She nodded, too, her mouth full.

"Emily, you mind?"

"Not at all. Help yourself. I swear, the Cullens did us all a favor by giving us those machines. Especially with all the coming and going. Although, I_ wish_," she said with emphasis at Alice, "that we could somehow repay them for all they've done for us."

"Oh hush," Alice said. "We have to make sure our family is well provided for. And we have the means. Trust me. Nothing is going to run out any time soon. Not with Edward and Jasper on the stock market."

"Still, you don't have to do all that for us. We're not really family."

Alice gave Emily a very direct glare. "Yes, you are. And not because my niece married Jacob. You became family when the pack stood with us against the Volturi the first time. Sam and the others didn't have to. They could have let us die out there."

"Let Jacob die?" Emily said incredulously. "I don't think so. That boy is like the little brother I never had. And Nessie? Let them have her? And you? Not on my life. Bella had told us all about you. I wouldn't have let Sam back out."

"See?" Alice replied with a grin. "Family. And the support we had deserves some doting upon."

Emily rolled her eyes as I stood up.

"Come on, girls. Let's get you some cocoa."

Haleigh gripped my hand and pulled me toward the kitchen. Alice and Emily kept up the bickering as I fixed the cocoa and seated the girls at the kitchen table.

"Stay here. I'll get you a plate of chestnuts."

After I got them settled and fed, I sat back down at the coffee table. I couldn't help but think about Haleigh. What would happen if Walker didn't come back? Would she retreat into herself? Would depression sink in? Could I deal with it? And what would happen with his-our-pack?

So many questions buzzed through my head that it was hard to keep track of them and contemplate any answers. Bianca came to sit beside me and squeezed my shoulder. Angelica sat on her other side.

"No matter what happens," Angelica said, "we'll all figure it out."

After that, we went back to playing the game. All of us kept touching, somehow brushing against each other. It was comforting, and it let me know that I wasn't alone.

"Christa?"

Haleigh was standing at the edge of the table on the other side of Angelica, looking down at me. The other two women moved to give her room to scooch down to me. Since I was sitting Indian-style, she nestled herself into my lap.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Is Walker coming home soon?"

Stroking her hair, I looked over at Emily and then Bianca. I rested my cheek on her hair and said, "I don't know, sweetheart."

She sniffled into my sleeve. "I miss him."

That's when the tears hit. "Me, too, baby. Me, too."

I'd tried to avoid intimate thoughts of him, but that barrier broke. The night of our wedding was one of the sweetest nights. After we'd gotten home, the three of us had cuddled up on the couch and had a Disney marathon. Once we'd put her to bed, the love-making had been slow and sensual. He'd woken me up multiple times in the night. The last time, I had cried, had fallen asleep against his chest with tears rolling over our skin.

Now my tears fell into Haleigh's dark hair as I held her tight.

"Excuse us," I managed to choke out as I stood up.

Bianca started to get up, but I shook my head. I couldn't take pretending to be okay anymore. Truth was, I was falling apart, screaming inside. Something was terribly wrong and my heart was breaking from lack of information and Haleigh's tears.

"We'll be fine. Just going back to my house."

After a moment, Bianca gave me a sad smile and nodded. "Ok. I'll come check on you later."

"Thank you."

The air was crisp and cold so I tucked Haleigh against my chest and carried her home. Once we got there, I put us both in our pajamas, I cuddled us up in my bed. Walker had insisted on changing the sheets before he left. I'd hated it because I'd wanted his scent surrounding me.

On my side, I tucked her into me and stroked her hair. She slept fitfully. Body twitching, face scrunching up, she tossed against me.

"Mommy," she pleaded into my shoulder in her sleep.

I pulled her closer. "Shhh, I'm here, sweetheart. I'm right here."

Murmuring to her over and over, she finally settled. And with her peace, came mine.

**ShelbyPOV**

My heart went out to Christa and Haleigh. The girl had just found a man that would make a perfect father for her and now something awful could be happening to him. And Christa? She'd just married him, had just gotten him back in her life.

Brayden was currently snoozing in my arms, and I couldn't bring myself to think about Seth. Worry already flooded me. It was better not to make it worse by mulling those thorny thoughts over and over.

All that worry I decided to aim toward Nessie and Christa and Leah. The last had run herself ragged, whining and whimpering. The two men she loved most were away with Jacob. Caden and Seth were out there, both ripped away from her. She hadn't eaten, barely slept, and was rarely seen in human form over the last couple days.

The times she had been human, she'd come to hold Brayden, her one connection to her baby brother. My only connection to my mate. After about twenty minutes, she'd disappear once more. I suspected she was giving her brother updates about the both of us. I hadn't seen her in a few hours, so that meant she was running again. I'd have to make sure she ate when she came in. Caden would kill me if I let her go on the way she was and he came back to a skeleton.

That was assuming he was coming back.

Clearing my throat, I turned to Bianca. "Would you mind taking care of him for a couple hours? I need some fresh air."

"Oh, o-of course," she said taking him from me.

I think she was surprised that I'd turned to her, but she was a good woman and Walker trusted her. After what he'd done and that she'd supported him, I trusted her, too.

Alana followed me out. Patrick had gone with the rest of the pack up north, but she'd stayed behind to guard me and Brayden. Since Brayden was safe with wolves and vampires, she accompanied me out onto the rez. I didn't bother with small talk. She was too busy scanning the people, trees, and buildings.

"Do you know where Nessie went?" I asked.

Alana lifted her face to the breeze. "Her scent is fresh enough. Leads to First Beach."

"Good. That's the freshest air in this whole place. Can you take me there?"

She nodded and started leading the way.

Eventually, we made it to the parking area. Stepping onto the pebbles, I looked around. Nessie was further down, sitting in front of the woods, on a bleached log. Her four guards were spread around her, Sadie positioned behind her.

I made my way over to her, the waves loud against the pebbles. It was peaceful here. No wonder she'd come out here. On my long walk to her, I studied my best friend. The lines on her face weren't as deep, as defined. Leaning forward, elbows on her knees, she smiled softly and twisted her wedding ring on her finger.

"This seat taken?" I asked as I reached her.

She startled and gave me wide eyes. And then a smile. "No, of course not. Join me. It's...quiet out here."

Sitting on the log, I nodded. "Yeah, it is." I looked over at her. "So how are you holding up?"

She shrugged. "I should be freaking out from no news, but Jacob has his reasons I guess. Even though I don't like them. Taking care of the pack and you needs to be my top priority right now. I just needed some time to think, an isolated spot."

"Well, this is perfect for it."

She nodded. "Yeah. How's Brayden?"

I snorted. "He's a baby. He's fine. It's Haleigh and Claire I'm worried about. Claire's strong and can put on a brave face, but Haleigh broke down just before I came out here. Christa took her home."

"Poor things. They both just got Walker."

Nodding, I laced my fingers together and gripped one knee. "And Leah."

Wide eyes turned to me and she gasped. "Oh my god, I didn't even think about that. Caden and Seth both." She covered her face with her hands. "How is she? I haven't seen her."

"Not good. Barely eats. Maybe sleeps about five minutes. Only phases back to human to see Brayden. And then she's off again."

She sighed heavily. "I'll have to talk to her about that. She needs to keep her strength up." Reaching over, she patted my knee. "How are you?"

"Trying not to think. Every single time I look at my son, I see Seth. It hurts, but I know that I'll be his mother no matter what."

"Of course you will. We told you you'd never be your mother."

"Thank God for that."

We both chuckled...until Alice appeared in front of us.

**RPOV**

I choked on my laugh. "Aunt Alice!"

This wasn't a friendly visit. I knew that expression on her face. Carefully, skillfully neutral.

"Nessie, I need to talk to you."

So much for a peaceful retreat.

Sighing, I stood up and followed her into the trees. Sadie followed closely.

"What is it, Aunt Alice?" I asked, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets.

Now, in private, her expression crumbled. A deep sadness filled her eyes, and I was certain she'd be crying right now.

Reaching out, I gripped her hand, concern and fear painting my voice. "Aunt Alice, what's wrong?"

She swallowed hard and gripped my hand. "I know Jacob gave an order not to tell you anything, and I've respected it." She shifted. Now fear enveloped me. My aunt did not shift or fidget. She was a vampire, and right now, she was acting like a scared, upset human. Licking her lips (which was another fear-inducing action), she whispered, "But...but they're back."

My brain was slow to process. "What? Th-that's great!" I frowned. "But why aren't you happy?"

Her bottom lip trembled and she shook her head.

"Where?"

"North of the big house."

Opening my mouth to ask yet again what was wrong, I was interrupted by Shelby.

"Alice? What is it?"

My aunt's eyes darted between me and Shelby, the sadness deepening. And my stomach dropped. Shelby didn't notice anything.

Shaking my head, I went around her, pointing as if that would change things. "No," I said in denial. "No!"

Flinging myself into the trees, I heard both women yell for me. I had to see for myself before Shelby did. Hearing Shelby behind me made me touch into my vampire speed. Hopefully I'd be faster than her this time.

Tears started raining down my cheeks as I dodged limbs and roots. Slippery leaves threatened to throw me on my face, but each time I managed to grab onto something to hold me up. The sky opened and rain started to fall, drops managing to make it through the canopy of trees, hitting me. The ground became slicker under my feet, the tears harder and faster.

_No, no, no, no, no!_ This couldn't be happening.

Moments later, I burst through the trees into the clearing that the big Cullen house was sitting in. The rain soaked through all my layers as I studied the front of the house. They'd be coming around from the back. Shelby was still far behind. I could barely hear her crashing through the shrubs.

Darting around to the back of the house, I waited to be able to see them. It wasn't yet dark, but the rain was heavy.

"Come on," I whispered. "Where are you? Prove my aunt wrong."

Not a heartbeat later, dark shapes formed through the sheet of rain. As they got closer, the rain let up just enough that I could see them. There was a group, and they were carrying something.

The rain let up a little more and Jacob came into view. He was leading the group, but he was in bad shape. Blood soaked his naked body, scratches and lacerations covering his skin. But worst of all were the tear tracks running down his face.

My own tears started back up again, hand going to my mouth as I shook my head.

"No, Jacob," I whispered.

He heard me. Those sad eyes closed tightly as more tears streamed down his face. "Take him into the house. Let Carlisle prep him for the pyre." His voice was dead.

"Jacob?"

Shelby's voice.

"Jacob, who is that?" He didn't answer. Panic flooded her voice. "Who is that?!"

He shook his head as I turned to catch her. She avoided my grasp and ran to Jacob.

"Tell me it's not Seth! Seth!"

When nobody answered her, she screamed, running for the group. Jacob grabbed her, holding her to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Shelby," he choked out.

"NO! Nooooo!" she screamed through her sobbing.

Sagging into Jacob's grip, she screamed, complete agony pouring from her.

"Shelby, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Jacob said to her, holding her tightly as she struggled and continued screaming.

"Wh-what happened?! What happened?" she sobbed, her voice giving into her sobs.

Others burst through the trees behind me as my own pain at losing Seth brought me to my knees in the mud. Aunt Alice was there. She knelt by me and took me into her arms. More wolves poured out of the woods behind Jacob and Shelby to surround them. Walker, in human form, threw his head back and howled mournfully. The pack followed, but nothing could drown out Shelby's sobs of despair.

"Walker?" Christa called to my right. "Walker!"

The crowd around Jacob and Shelby shifted and Walker appeared at the edge. He was just as bloody and beaten as Jacob, as all of them. Somewhere along the way, he'd slid into some sweats. Those piercing, green wolf eyes were frantic.

"Daddy!" Haleigh yelled as she started running toward him.

Walker moved, too, while Christa followed Haleigh.

"Haleigh!"

"Daddy!"

Just before reaching her, Walker went to his knees, sliding in the mud. Haleigh flung herself into his arms. He held on tight as Christa dropped beside them. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into him, kissing the side of her head.

"My girls. My beautiful girls," he said, his own tears surfacing.

Joy for them hit my heart, but nothing beat out the sorrow. Getting to my feet, I shakily made my way to the group. Seth's body had been taken inside per Jacob's orders. Shoving through the wolves, my shaky legs dropped me next to Jacob and Shelby. When she saw me, Shelby flung herself into my arms.

I held her, but looked up at Jacob.

His tears were still steady. He was looking down at Shelby when he whispered, "We were ambushed. Alec sent out vampires before Alice started watching him. Tristan wasn't there. They'd taken the Denalis. Seth-," he had to swallow hard and clear his throat to continue. "Seth...he took the blow for me, just jumped right in the way."

Shelby's sobs deepened, her nails ripping through my clothes to dig into my skin. Wrapping a firm arm around her, I reached out with the other to cradle Jacob's face, rubbing the tear track with my thumb.

"He loved you," I choked out.

Though he leaned into the touch, he also shook his head. "It shouldn't have been him. It was supposed to be me. He was supposed to watch out for himself, to come home to his son."

Surprising me, Shelby sat up with a glare at Jacob. "Don't you dare," she said in a low, dangerous tone. Standing up, she glared down at him. "Don't you dare smudge his sacrifice. He gave his life for yours. Appreciate it!"

With that, she turned and marched through crowd that separated for her.

"I'm sorry," Jacob whispered again as he stared after her.

I watched her barely make it to the house, brushing off everyone who tried to help her. Her grief was so great that she walked more like she was drunk than the strong woman that I knew.

Before I could get up to go after her, a strong arm pulled me back against a hard body. Jacob. Turning, I snuggled into him.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he choked into my hair.

I stroked his sides and back. "Shh, you're here. You're back. We can have a reunion later, though. Shelby needs us."

I felt him nod against my hair, his lips on my temple.

"Where's Brayden?" he asked.

"Bianca took him inside," a familiar English accent said.

"Good. Shelby needs her son now more than ever."

Getting to my feet, I followed her trail and stumbled my way into the house, Jacob not far behind.

**ShelbyPOV**

If Brayden didn't exist, I would have already died of a broken heart. My entire body hurt and was numb at the same time as I stumbled through the house. The tears blurred my vision so bad that I had to rely on touch to get me to the stairs, and once I got there, I had to use both hands to pull me up because my legs were trembling so badly.

Collapsing seemed like a good idea once I got to the top of the stairs, but I didn't dare. The door to the treatment room was open and voices floated out. Gritting my teeth and gripping the wall, I made my way down the hall.

The voices stopped and Edward stepped out of the room. He was drenched, caked in mud, and his eyes held sadness not sympathy. Which was good for him.

"Is he...is-,"

He nodded. "He's cleaned and ready for the pyre."

"P-pyre?"

"Yes. Like Jordan."

"Oh," I whispered. Wiping my eyes, I suddenly felt a surge of strength. This was my mate, the father of my child. "I need to see him before...to say goodbye."

"Of course. Carlisle," he called.

A moment later, the doctor appeared, face carefully blank.

"I'm so sorry, Shelby," he said as he passed, a hand on my shoulder.

"Please check on my son," I said in an emotionless voice.

"Absolutely. Take all the time you need. Do you want Brayden brought up?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't know how good his memory is and he doesn't need to remember his father this way."

"The choice is yours."

"Thank you for bringing him home," I whispered.

Edward cleared his throat even though he didn't have to. "We never leave family behind."

And then they left me alone.

On shaky legs, I forced myself into the room. As promised, Seth's body was clean, even the wounds. As I leaned over his body, my tears fell onto his skin. The...killing blow had been a set of claws to the heart and slashes across his throat.

My lip and hand trembled as I reached out to stroke a lock of hair from his forehead. "Oh, Seth."

His skin was paling out, lips turning blue. I could never mistake this for sleeping. Collapsing onto his lifeless chest, I sobbed and completely broke down.

"What am I supposed to do without you? How can I do this? Your strength was mine."

And then my words were gone in a flood of agony. My heart now broke. My legs gave out and strong arms caught me, settling me back into a chair but allowing me to keep contact with Seth's body. I was vaguely aware of other people in the room, other females crying. Leah and Sue must be around. They'd want to be near Seth, too, but I could bear to let go of him. Not yet.

My son no longer had a father. I was now a single mother, a widow, and the pain ripped me apart. It felt like pieces of me, my soul, were flaking off with every tear. Living without Seth, raising our son, was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever done. This fear had always been there, from the very beginning, and now that it was here, I hated fate. I hated the universe, whatever caused things like this to happen.

A good breath was hard to come by and I choked on what little air managed to get into my lungs. Cold didn't even begin to cover what I felt. More like frostbite. His beating heart always kept me warm, kept me from feeling soulless.

Leaning back, I said, "Someone give me a knife, or something."

Immediately, a scalpel was placed in my waiting hand. Whenever we'd made love, he was the one inside me, spilling into me. I needed something of me to be burned with him.

After slicing the palm of my right hand, I sliced his, and clasped our hands.

Quoting one of my favorite movies I said, "My blood. Your blood. Our blood. Always," I whispered over our connected hands. "I love you, Seth. So much." I sniffled and swallowed hard a few times. "I don't know how I'm going to live without you, but I will damn sure try. For Brayden. You made me the woman I am, and I will fight to stay this woman. And I'll keep my promise. Brayden will know you. I'll tell him everything. As will Leah and your mother."

Reaching up with my free hand, I stroked his hair. "You'll always be my man. I love you. So much." All I could manage to say was "I love you". The word "goodbye" just wouldn't leave me. It would make all of this final even though I held his lifeless body in my arms.

Leah and Sue made their way to the other side of the bed to say their goodbyes. Both women were clutching at each other, sobbing. Sue reached over to place her hand over mine and her son's. Leah's joined her mother's.

Our gazes met.

"We'll take care of them, Seth," Leah said in a strangled voice.

"Absolutely," Sue conceded. She leaned over to press a kiss to Seth's forehead. "Goodbye, my sweet boy." Her tears dripped onto his cheeks.

"Bye, baby brother," Leah said, thumb stroking his cheek. "Until we meet again."

Together, we all broke down. Our tears mingling on Seth's body.

My palm still clasped with his, my blood becoming his. His becoming mine.

If Sue and Leah could say it, could accept it, I could, too. For our son. To let Seth go, to let his memory rest.

"Goodbye, my love," I finally whispered before giving in to the paralyzing pain.

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**Really? Do I really need to say anything here? I know I left Tricia out of this chapter, but she just wasn't talking to me. I guess she wanted me to focus on the main event. Love that girl. Please review. Let me know. Love you guys! I didn't do it on purpose. xoxoxoxo**


	18. Chapter 18

**I told you I'd be back with chapter 18 asap. And here it is. Still made me cry, so warning: DO NOT READ IN CLASS. I thought I should put warnings on these things now because so many of you told me you went to class sobbing. I don't want to be blamed for you missing classes. But hey, this is a happier chapter. Most authors would have tried waiting for a couple more chapters, but I found I just didn't have that kind of time-frame in the story for it. You'll understand.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**CadenPOV**

A couple hours later, Shelby managed to pry herself from her dead mate's side. Her face was blotchy and stained with tears as she'd reached for her son. Leah and Sue had come down with her, helping to support her and each other. Leah came straight for me, and her mother went to Charlie's arms. He'd also been crying.

Jacob's goodbye, other than Shelby's, had been by far the worst to hear. He'd cried, screamed, roared, and cried some more. Nessie had come back down the stairs, arms wrapped around her torso, looking helpless as Jacob finally broke down.

The whole way back, he'd been silent, totally locked down. Finally, he'd let it all out here. Now, he was sitting on the floor, Nessie curled up in his lap. I was sitting at Leah's feet. She and Sue were sitting on each side of Shelby. Shelby had just finished feeding Brayden, who was now snoozing in her arms. Every time she looked at him, her eyes glassed over and she cried into his blanket.

When she'd come down, I'd smelled blood on her. Either she'd hurt herself outside or it was from laying on Seth's body, or something else altogether. Now, I gave Edward a questioning glance. He held up his palm and made a slicing motion over it.

_She cut herself?_ I thought.

He nodded.

_In the struggle?_

Frowning, he shook his head.

So she'd purposely cut herself. I saw Edward's nod. How odd. Why would she do that?

A whooshing sounded through the house. Many of the wolves were taking turns in the shower. Esme had been kind enough to once again open her home to us. Walker was the one in the shower now. Christa and Haleigh were in the hallway across from the door so that they were there when he came out. Haleigh had been calling them her mommy and daddy all night, not daring to stop touching them. She was old enough to understand that something tragic had happened, that the pack had fought and had lost someone special.

The whooshing sounded again just as Walker opened the bathroom door. I frowned again. The water wasn't running. Maybe it was the drainage system.

Gently moving Nessie from his lap, Jacob stood up and cleared his throat. "Shelby, I'm going to tell the packs to go home for a couple hours, to see their families and get presentable. Is that okay?"

She nodded without seeing the room. Her eyes were unfocused, glassed over, and emotionless. She'd handed Brayden over to Leah.

"I want to know what happened, Jacob. When you come back."

He nodded. "Of course." Giving me a look as he passed, he went for the front door to make his announcement. Everybody in the living room stayed, the people closest to Seth and their loved ones.

I hadn't cried over Seth's loss even though it touched me deeply. Seth had been a good man, a great father, and a selfless warrior.

A moment later, Jacob was back and sat in front of Shelby on the sturdy coffee table. Leaning forward, elbows on his knees, he took Shelby's hands in his.

For a moment, all he could do was swallow hard over and over, beating down the emotions of being near his fallen packmate's wife. Dirt and blood were still caked over his skin, some wounds still seeping blood. But he had refused to shower first. He'd sent the pack first.

"Jacob, just tell me. I'm empty, hurting, paralyzed all at once. And I need to know what happened. We all do. Not just with...him, but all of you."

He nodded. "I know." He had to clear his throat to continue. "We made it up there. It was quiet, nothing moving in the house. Edward, Jasper, and I went inside. Blood was everywhere, furniture overturned, glass broken. A fight." His voice was as emotionless as hers. "While we were in there, Edward heard thoughts, coming toward us, fast. And not friendly. They surrounded us. Lower members of the Volturi's guard. And Nyla was there as well. Edward caught the thought that Alec had sent them, knowing we'd be up there looking for our relatives."

"How did they know that?" Shelby asked, proving that she was indeed paying attention.

"They figured that the prisoners would eventually talk. And Nicolai did," Edward answered her. "Jane had Tristan and the others pulled from the house. When the Denalis arrived home at the wrong time, they'd taken them, too."

"What happened next?" she whispered.

"We fought. We had no choice. They'd been given orders to destroy us. Badly outnumbered, we were losing. They were driving us toward the cliff of the mountain. One of them jumped me, arm around my throat. I couldn't shake him. Another vamp had appeared in front of me, was going for my throat, when...when Seth jumped in front of me. I knew, as soon as h-he hit the ground, I knew. Someone pulled the vamp off my back, but it was too late. Too much blood."

Shelby's eyes closed in pain, tears starting up again. She swallowed hard. "Did...did you kill the bastard?"

"I did. I ripped him apart limb from limb. He felt all of it."

"Good," she whispered.

"How did you get out alive?" Nessie asked softly, stepping up behind her man to rub his shoulders.

Leah's fingers played in my hair and I reached up to grip her fingers and press a kiss to her knuckles. I'd missed her something terrible, had worried for every second that I was gone about her. She looked awful and not just from grief, but from her own worry. She'd lost weight and had dark circles under her eyes. No food or sleep. And now with her brother gone, I'd have to force her to do both.

Another whoosh sounded throughout the house. Again, I frowned. Maybe another wolf had snuck in for a shower. Edward's shake of the head registered from the corner of my eyes.

_Do you hear it?_

He nodded with his own frown. And then his eyes went to the ceiling.

Jacob was talking again, and my concentration shifted.

He'd taken his wife's hand and pulled it around to his chest, her wrist pressed to his lips. "Another pack saved us. The one I told Caden to call. Emma and Calahan with their two hundred and fifty plus wolves. They just came too late. The battle was easily won, and...here we are."

"Where are they?"

"I sent them down to my pack," Walker said from behind the couch. "And speaking of them, I need to get down there. This grieving should be for family anyway." Bending over the couch, he pressed a kiss to Shelby's cheek. "Love you, girl. We'll be back before the two hours is up."

"Absolutely," Christa said, giving her own kiss.

"Thank you," Shelby whispered. "Both of you."

"Bye, Miss Shelby," Haleigh said sadly as she gripped her parents' hands.

"Bye, sweetheart. See you later."

When they were gone, Jacob stood up. "I'm sorry, but I need a shower. I...I need to be clean." He pulled Nessie with him. "You mind?"

She shook her head. "Not at all." But before they went, she reached forward for Shelby's face, cradling her gently between her hands, and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much, honey. If you need to stay at our place, it's open to you."

"Thank you," Shelby choked out. "I love you, too. Both of you. I'm glad you're home safe, Jacob."

It was a challenge and Jacob knew it. He'd, not purposely, disregarded Seth's sacrifice earlier. So he knew to step carefully.

He nodded. "Thank you. I owe Seth my life, and since he's...no longer here, I will give you and Brayden my all. Anything you need."

Shelby started crying, gripping Nessie's hands. "I just need you to take care of my girl, okay? Love her with the time that Seth gave you."

Now Nessie started crying as Shelby let go of her and Jacob pulled her into his body. "I will. I won't take it for granted."

Sitting back against the cushions, Shelby looked utterly exhausted. "Good. That's good."

Without another word, they went for the bathroom, leaving the room quiet. Except for the whooshing sound. Jacob hadn't started the water in the shower yet. I didn't hear it hitting the glass doors. It came again, and this time, a loud thump accompanied it.

What the hell? Nobody else but Edward seemed to be able to hear it, or they were just too caught up in their grief. Looking over to Edward, I saw him jerk his head toward the stairs.

Standing up, I kissed Leah's forehead. "I'll be back, luv. I have my own goodbyes to attend to."

"You want me to come with you?"

I shook my head. "You've gone through enough right now. Save your strength for the pyre and stay with Shelby." Brayden was still asleep in her arms, and in that moment, I wanted more than anything to give her a child. But all this wasn't over yet.

With all my strength, I wrenched away from her to follow Edward up the stairs. Once we were up in the hallway and in front of the closed door that led to Seth's body, he turned to me, speaking softly.

"You asked why Shelby would cut herself. She sliced her palm and then Seth's to mix their blood. She wanted part of her to burn with him."

Another whoosh and thump echoed, but louder. Each time was spread out from the other but it was also a rhythm. Not sporadic at all like I'd originally thought.

"She mingled their blood?"

He nodded.

And then it dawned on me, a memory that I could barely believe surfacing. My eyes widening, I pushed past him and into the room. Seth's body was motionless on the bed, but something seemed off. I'd been one of the men to bring his body up here and I remembered every detail. But what was it that bothered me?

Whoosh. Thump. But much louder, painfully loud.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked.

"The infection. Shelby's infected."

"But could it do that type of regeneration? His body is dead and has been for a day and half."

Moving into the room, I went to stand over Seth's body. "That's true, but in all the myths and legends I've read and heard, the soul takes three days to leave. It hangs around the body, just in case I guess. Nobody knows why."

He quirked an eyebrow. "And you believe in that?"

I shrugged. "I've seen it, actually."

We were still whispering, hoping that nobody heard us, especially Shelby. That's why I'd told them that I was saying my goodbyes. Maybe they wouldn't eavesdrop.

"What do you mean you've seen it?"

"It was a test. A pack leader had lost his human son. Two days after the death, he decided to try to infect the boy, to see what happened. At first, there was nothing. But at the end of the third day, the heart started pumping seemingly erratically, the blood rushing through the veins in different rhythms. And then the lungs kicked in, spreading oxygen. The boy's wounds started sealing up, chest moving with breaths. It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

"If we were to go with that timeline, we wouldn't be seeing or hearing the changes now. It would be another day or so."

I shook my head. "Not necessarily."

"What do you mean?"

"The father and son were not imprints. Shelby is Seth's imprint. And Seth is Shelby's true mate. That could make a huge difference."

The one-two noise echoed in the room again.

Going to a cabinet, Edward took out a stethoscope. Leaning over Seth, he pressed the metal piece to his chest, the earpieces where they needed to be. I stayed as quiet as I could, trying to slow my own heartbeat and breathing.

A couple minutes passed.

Then, whoosh, thump.

Edward's eyes flicked to mine.

**JPOV**

Numb, paralyzed. Two great words to describe me. The loss of Seth, the man I considered a younger brother, broke my soul, just shattered it. I'd told him no brave, stupid shit, but he hadn't listened. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those fingers digging into his flesh, ripping his throat, shredding his skin.

"Jacob?" Nessie said, shaking me a little. When I opened my eyes, she said, "You whimpered."

Once we'd gotten in the shower together, I'd completely stopped functioning altogether. She'd been the one to scrub me clean, scrubbing out the wounds. When that vamp had been latched onto me, I'd truly thought I'd never see her again. I'd even said goodbye to her in my head.

"I love you," I choked out.

Her chocolate gaze met mine with tears shimmering. "Oh, Jacob." She wrapped her arms around my waist, ear to my chest over my heart. "I love you, too."

"I meant what I said. I'll love you for every second that Seth gave me. And I will take care of Shelby and Brayden."

She stroked my back. "I know, baby. We both will."

There was a knock on the door.

"Jacob, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak with you."

If you didn't know him the way I did, you wouldn't have been able to hear the urgency in that otherwise calm voice.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Sure. Give me a sec."

I had to be strong. I was alpha and had already had my tantrum. It was time to grow my balls back. Reaching around her, I turned off the water and grabbed two towels. She'd managed to bring in a clean pair of sweats for me.

Soon enough, we were dressed and meeting Edward in the hallway. He gave us a sad smile. "Hey, sweetheart," he said to Ness.

"Daddy," she said moving into his embrace. "I missed you."

"And I missed you."

"What did you need?"

His gaze met mine. "Actually, I need to speak with Jacob. Alone."

Ness pulled back. "Oh. Ok." She went up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to my lips. "I'll just sit with Shelby."

I nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Let me know if she needs anything."

"I will."

With one last smile to both of us, she went into the living room.

"What's up, Edward?"

"Upstairs."

Frowning, I followed him up the stairs and into the room that Seth's body was lying in. Looking at him hurt, the wounds on him meant for me.

"What?" I snapped.

Caden was grinning.

"What are you grinning at?"

Edward put his finger to his lips in the universal "shhh" signal.

"Jacob," Caden whispered. "I think Seth has a chance."

"What are you talking about?" I hissed out angrily. If this was a joke-

"It's not, Jacob. Hear him out," Edward interrupted my internal threat.

Caden went around to the far side of the medical bed. "Yes, Seth is gone. No pulse or breath. True. However, I want you to listen. When you hear it, I'll explain."

He went quiet and I was left listening to his breathing and heartbeat. That was it for a good minute.

I shook my head. "Look, I don't know what you're-"

Suddenly, it felt like wind rushing through my ears. And then a loud thump, like something was on the roof. But the roof was another story up.

"What was that?"

Caden and Edward both grinned.

"It's Seth's body," Caden said.

"What are you talking about? How?"

Reaching across Seth's body, Caden flipped over his right hand, palm up. There was a neat slice in the center stained with blood.

"Ok, he was cut. So what?"

"He was sliced. By Shelby. And she sliced herself."

Crossing my arms, I shook my head. "And?"

"She gave him her infection." He said that it explained everything.

It didn't.

"Look, you better start talking in full sentences and explanations or I'm going to rip you apart. You're testing what little patience I still have."

"Shh," he hissed. Apparently, they didn't want anybody else hearing this conversation.

The sound happened again, my head echoing with it. It was freaking loud.

Caden gave Edward a look. "Alright, I'll tell you what I told Edward. Think to all those books you've read about vampires. Three days. It takes three days to create a vampire. It's because of the soul. Once a person dies, the soul stays around for three days. Seth has only been gone a little over a day."

"You're saying his soul is still here?"

"According to legend, yes. Now, before you yell at me about legends, let me again tell you what I told your dear father-in-law. A few years ago, after Alora's death, I witnessed something I never believed could happen. A pack leader resurrected his human son by mingling their blood, thus infecting the boy. I saw this, Jacob. The boy was two days dead. And then his blood started rushing through his veins. The heart followed, one beat every two minutes so, irregular. Next were the lungs. Everything started backwards. Usually, it's the heart, then the blood, then the lungs. Or lungs then blood. I don't know, but the heart is always first. Except for in this instance. It was all backwards. The infection in the blood forced the liquid to start moving what little oxygen was left in it. Once the infected blood reached the heart, it started it back up. Once that happened, the blood pumped and the infection reached the lungs, reviving them. The infection must have a built-in enzyme to keep it alive in the host. I just didn't think it would work with two different werewolves, or two werewolves at all."

"No brain damage?"

Caden shook his head. "The boy was fine. Same as he'd always been."

Ok, the anger in me was subsiding under the weight of all he'd just told me. The sound had happened two more times while he had been talking. And I'd noticed a stethoscope around Edward's neck. Edward wouldn't have backed up Caden unless he'd heard the sounds from Seth's body himself.

Caden showed the palm cut once more. "Don't you get it? Shelby mixed her blood with Seth's. It's starting up his blood, his heart. It's going to repair the worst of the damage. But-"

"But what?" I asked sharply.

His grin died and left him with a sober expression. "But I don't think the cut offered enough blood. That's why his heart is still slow."

"So he needs more infected blood. Why don't you give it to him?"

He shook his head. "It needs to be Shelby."

"Why?"

"She's his imprint. Her blood in him would make the biggest impact. And having his family close. Nobody realizes the energy they give off. But when we're hurt, we're sensitive to it. We know who's around us."

"What do you think, Edward?"

His gaze was very direct. "I think Shelby's the type of woman who would try anything to bring her son's father back to him."

I nodded. "Ok. Let's get Carlisle up here and I'll get Shelby."

Immediately, Carlisle was in the room as I was walking out. Going down the stairs, I wondered how I'd get her back in that room. Guess I'd find out.

When I got down there, I had a moment of panic when I didn't see Nessie. But then she raised her head from Shelby's lap and my heart started beating again. Going up behind the couch, I touched Shelby's shoulder so I wouldn't scare her and bent down to her ear. Hopefully the others would get the hint and not try to listen in.

"Caden, Edward, and I need you upstairs in the room," I breathed.

She pulled away from me to stare at me through a frown. "What?"

I leaned in again. "I know you've said your goodbyes and are trying to let go, but I'm begging you. I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't think it was important. Please, Shelby."

Her frown lessened as she studied me. And then she nodded. "Ok. Can Ness come?"

"Of course."

Both women stood up and excused themselves. Everybody watched as I followed them up the stairs. Once we were all in the room, Caden went through his listening/explanation routine once more. Shelby had clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent the sob from being heard downstairs. She was sitting in the chair beside the bed. Her tears had started back up at the sight of him. She'd stroked Seth's hair as Caden talked.

"And you think this will work?" she whispered.

"I think it's worth a shot, luv. The process has already started. That much we've established. You just heard it yourself. And the timeline is good. Shelby, darling, look at his coloring. His skin is no longer pallid, lips no longer pale. But we don't have much time."

She looked back to me where I was standing behind her chair then to the other men. Eventually, she picked up Seth's lifeless, but no longer pale, hand to kiss his knuckles.

"Let's do it. Let's try."

In moments, she was repositioned and set up for a direct transfusion. She never once let go of Seth's hand. Nessie grabbed a seat and held her other one. Carlisle attached clips and such to Seth. The flatline of the heart monitor had been like rubbing salt in the deep hole inside me. It must have been worse for Shelby.

Until that first_ thump_ registered.

She teared up again and Nessie gripped her hand hard. I sat on the floor beside the girls' chairs, forearms on my knees and waited.

And prayed. Not sure to who, but I prayed to whatever god was out there that this worked, that a newborn son would not lose his father this early.

**The Next Morning**

**ShelbyPOV**

Quite a few hours and a sour stomach later, I was jolted out of light sleep by a constant beeping of the heart monitor and dawn seeping through the curtains. Edward and Carlisle were no longer in the room. They'd taken out the transfusion tube while I'd been out apparently because it wasn't there anymore. Nessie and Jacob were curled up in what had started off as Nessie's chair, her hand still wrapped around mine. Caden was curled up in the corner.

Groggily, I sat up. When I'd passed out, the monitor hadn't been going that fast, hadn't sounded normal. Swallowing hard, not daring to hope, I looked over at Seth.

And nearly sobbed in joy.

His eyes were moving under his eyelids. Reaching up, I stroked his warm forehead.

Wait. Warm?

Clutching at his hand, I realized mine was sweating in his palm.

"Oh, my god," I whispered. I squeezed Nessie's hand, shaking it. "Wake up. Nessie! Wake up!"

She jolted in Jacob's lap, which then woke him up.

"Shelbs?"

"His skin is warm," I breathed.

Now they both sat up. "What?" Jacob asked.

The tears I'd tried to hold back fell over the edge. "His skin is warm. Eyes moving under his lids. And listen? His heart rate. It sounds normal." I didn't know how to read the brain activity monitor, so through my tears, I managed to yell, "Carlisle! Edward!"

They rushed in quickly and shut the door. Carlisle came over to read the monitors. Caden had woken up and come to stand next to us.

"I don't believe it," Carlisle breathed. He looked at Edward in amazement. "It worked. It actually worked."

I sagged and sobbed in joy. Though he wasn't awake, his heart was beating once more.

Carlisle put a finger just under his nose. "And he's breathing on his own." He looked to Caden. "Did it work this fast before?"

"Once the heart started beating, yes. But they'd used more blood at first. I think it would have worked faster this time had it been transferred through more than a cut. However, I don't think it would have worked by just a cut with the father and son. I think it worked this time because of the imprint."

In silence, we all stared at Seth. His beautiful chest was moving up and down of its own accord, eyes roaming beneath his lids. And before my eyes, the deepest of the wounds, the worst of them, began to knit up. It was like watching a flower bloom. You actually didn't see it, but every time you looked back it was just a little more flared out. In this case, the wounds were just a little more closed every time.

Standing up, I leaned as far over him as I could, and put my lips to his ear. "That's it, baby. Heal. Take your time, just don't let your heart stop. I can't say goodbye again." I kissed his cheek, warm tears landing on his skin, and turned to everybody. "I need to tell Leah and Sue. They have to know. And Brayden...Seth needs him close."

Caden nodded. "I think that's a good idea, luv. And it should be you."

I started for the door, but then remembered something and turned around. "Carlisle, before I go, what about the brain waves? I mean, I don't want to give them false hope."

He just smiled at me. "Healthier by the second. His body just needs time to heal itself. Maybe another transfusion in a couple days."

My chest loosened just a little more as I raced down the stairs, a smile threatening to break my face. When I hit the bottom floor, jumping a few steps, everybody turned to look at me. And then they gave me concerned looks like they thought I'd lost my mind. I kind of had with joy.

"Shelby?" Sue said, getting up from the couch. "Honey, are you okay?"

"I'm perfect," I said, taking Brayden from Alice and spinning him in the air.

"What?" Leah asked sharing a confused look with her mother.

"I'm perfect...because Seth is alive."

All eyes widened and snapped to me.

"What did you just say?" Leah demanded, getting to her feet.

"Seth is alive, Leah. Listen. Just listen for the monitors."

Everybody froze as they listened. How they hadn't heard it before baffled me.

After a long moment, Leah looked at me once more. "Those are on Seth?"

I nodded, holding out one of my hands. "I swear it. My infected blood saved him. Come on. I'll show you. Sue, you, too."

It took a second, but then both women hustled up the stairs with me, Leah's hand in mine. Brayden was awake and gurgling in my arms. As one unit, we busted through the door. Nessie, Jacob, and the others were standing to the side proving that all the monitors were indeed on Seth. Someone had elevated Seth's upper body so he was reclining.

All the monitors were chirping happily, none of them giving off the shrill alarms that being attached to a dead person would cause. Leah and her mother shared a look before they clasped hands and slowly started forward. One took one side of the bed while the other went around to the opposite side. They both did their own inspections, placing their palms over Seth's heart, taking his pulse, feeling him breathe the way Carlisle had.

Tears flowing down her face, Sue looked to Carlisle. "How?" she asked simply.

Calmly and slowly, he went through the same explanation that Caden had with me while I cradled my son. He was grinning up at me, gripping some of my hair in his little hand. He looked so much like Seth that my heart constricted with both joy and relief.

Feeling that someone was standing in front of me, I looked up to find both Sue and Leah standing before me, tears freely flowing.

"You did this," Sue whispered. "You brought my son back to me." She crushed my free side to her hard. "Thank you. God, thank you so much."

Once she let me go, Leah stepped up. "Mom, take Brayden."

Frowning, I let Sue hold her grandson.

As soon as he safely away from me, Leah wrapped her arms around me and lifted me up, twirling me around, her face buried in my shoulder.

"You have no idea how much you've saved this family. How much you mean to us. Thank you. My baby brother means the world to me even though I don't show it enough. You've given me a second chance to be a better sister."

When she put me down, I held my hands on her shoulders. "Leah, you've always been a good sister. But thank you. Once Caden told me about this, I knew I had to try."

"Thank God you did," Sue said, cradling Brayden. "Now this precious boy will have his father back."

She handed him back to me and I went for the bed. Holding Brayden up, he gripped my neck and looked down at Seth.

"Who is that?" I asked him, playfully. "Is that daddy?"

He grinned and giggled.

Sitting down, I sat Brayden on the bed beside his father, leaning him back against Seth's side between his arm and body. Remarkably enough, that skin was smooth and unmarred. As Seth's hand touched his son, his fingers jerked. I looked up to Carlisle to see if he saw it, too.

He nodded with a grin. "Having Brayden here will help him. And you. In just the past few minutes, his vitals have improved significantly." Looking at Edward, he said, "There's nothing more we can do right now except wait. Why don't we give the family some privacy."

Edward nodded and they all started to troop out. Jacob stepped up to the other side of the bed and smoothed Seth's hair back.

"You heal up, buddy. You have a family to take care of, a son to raise. I'm here. You saved my life and I'm still here. Thank you." Jacob gently pressed his lips to Seth's forehead. "You're the best brother I've ever had."

As Jacob pulled away, Seth's eyelids fluttered, but didn't open.

"Shelbs, you call me if you need anything, okay? We won't be far."

I nodded. "Thank you, Jacob. For everything."

Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I love you, Shelby."

"I love you, too, Jake."

Nessie and Jake said their goodbyes to everyone else before heading out. Caden ducked out as well even though I told him to stay with Leah like he wanted.

The three of us sat around the bed, each of us touching Seth, stroking his skin, murmuring to him. Brayden kept reaching forward to grip Seth's forefinger. Every time he did, the other fingers twitched.

He knew his son was here, and he was fighting to come back to us.

**RPOV**

Complete and utter shock. So much was happening so fast. They'd come back with nothing but Seth's lifeless body, and now, just mere hours later, that same lifeless body was inflated with animation once more.

Jacob and I walked slowly up to the house hand in hand in the dull dawn light. We hadn't gotten much sleep in that chair, and Jacob was exhausted. There was no way he could protect anyone until he got some sleep. Shelby and the others were being watched over by the others. They'd be okay long enough.

Once we reached the house, Jacob shut the door behind us, fiddled with the alarm system and went straight for the stairs that led to the bedroom. No lights were turned on as he took my hand, pulling me with him. Cricket and Trey weren't anywhere around. More than likely they were with Aunt Alice.

At the bottom of the stairs, he stripped out of his sweats and then proceeded to strip me down to my underwear.

"I can't process any more until I get some sleep. I can barely handle this right now."

We crawled into bed, and my body sighed, somehow knowing it was home. Jacob's body popped and creaked as he settled down into the pillows and plush mattress cover. As soon as he landed, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his body. In just two days, I had forgotten how very big he was. His huge body cradled mine, warming me to my bones.

"The moment I saw all those vampires, I thought I'd never get this again. I thought we were all dead."

I stroked his chest. Some of the deeper wounds were still healing. At least they'd healed enough to scab over. "Shh, don't think about that anymore. You're home. Seth is miraculously breathing again. Brayden has his father. Haleigh has hers. And I am here in your arms."

Reaching up, I unclasped the chain to release his ring. The moment it was free, he held his left hand up so I could slide it on his ring finger.

He sighed. "God, I missed that thing."

Now that we were alone and reunited in private, I let my tears for him fall.

"Hey, Ness, don't cry, baby. Please, don't cry. You know it kills me."

"I know," I sobbed. "But I just can't help it. I was so worried, and when I saw the group carrying Seth, I thought it was you at first. For that split-second, my entire world died, just exploded." My sobs increased because I felt like the worst person ever. "When I saw you, I was so thankful. And I feel terrible about that."

His big, warm hands stroked my back. I'd missed this so much. "Baby, don't feel terrible. It's natural to be relieved about something like that. And to feel guilty. That doesn't make you a bad person."

"Just let me cry. I need to cry and not talk."

He let out a chuckle. "Ok, sweetie. Cry your heart out. I'm right here."

And cry I did. Not sure how long, but I knew my face was splotchy and red, his skin was dripping, and the sheets under us were soaked. Talk about a headache when I woke up.

But I'd take waking up with a headache from crying over Jacob being alive than the alternative any day.

**TriciaPOV**

Embry had insisted on going back down to his house. We'd walked with Walker and Christa part of the way even though we didn't talk much with the new family. Walker was more interested in his adoptive daughter and new wife, though he had talked with Embry a bit about taking care of me. Of course, Embry had agreed.

We'd laid in bed the rest of the night, just curled around each other. Dawn had come and gone, birds chirping out in the woods. Everything was quiet except for Embry's heartbeat in my ear.

_Happy Birthday to me!_ I thought sarcastically. I sighed heavily with a snort tagging along on the end.

Embry's hand stroked up my arm. "You ok?"

"Yeah."

"Liar."

"And?"

Chuckling, I felt him put his lips to my ear. "And happy birthday."

Going up on my elbow, I stared at him. "You remembered?"

He frowned. "Of course I did. It's all I could really think about. Even fighting." I thought he was finished but then he whispered, "For a few minutes, I thought I'd have to miss it."

The sadness in his voice clenched my heart like a vice. "Well, you didn't. That's all that matters."

Just then my phone rang. Mom.

Sighing, I rolled over to the bedside table on my side to grab my phone.

"Hey, Mom."

"Happy Birthday, sweetie."

I smiled at her infectious joy. "Thanks."

"Are you coming home?"

I looked up at Embry. "Um, something happened, Mom. He didn't get in until late, and he wanted to spend some alone time with me today."

Her joy deflated slightly. "Oh, well, um…"

"I'll be home later tonight. I promise. But I can't promise to stay the night. Embry was hurt on his trip. We'll definitely be over tomorrow though. Christa and Walker as well. It'll be a family thing."

Joy reinflation successful. "Ok, dear. That sounds wonderful. I'll tell your father to play nice."

That made me laugh. "Yeah, right. And pigs fly. It'll be like any other family get-together with in-laws."

A choking sound came over the phone and I realized my slip while Embry's eyes widened.

"In-laws?" Mom asked. "Is there something I need to know?"

I tried to laugh it off. "It's a figure of speech, Mom."

"Oh, ok," she said cheerfully. "Well, we'll be looking for you tonight, honey. Have fun with Embry. Tell him I hope he feels better."

Either I pulled it off or she was a better liar than I was.

"Ok, I will. I'll tell him. Thanks, Mom. Love you."

"Love you, too, sweetie."

Hanging up, I put the phone back and then looked at Embry. "You hear that?"

He nodded. "She's sweet."

"Yeah, she is. I'd ask you to come tonight, but I bet you're tired."

"I will be."

I cocked an eyebrow as he reached for me. Gripping my hips, he swung me up so that I was straddling his.

Reaching up, he laced our fingers together. "Sorry I didn't get you anything for your birthday."

Laughing I shook my head. "You home and safe is the best gift ever. I stayed here the whole time, you know."

His eyebrows met his hairline. "Really?"

I nodded. "There was no way I could sit there with a fake smile with all the other women."

His hands suddenly let go of mine, and I was forced to fall forward. Reaching out, I grabbed the iron bars of the headboard.

"What was that for? If we'd butted heads, I would have been in a coma."

He chuckled but reached up to the first button on the shirt of his I was wearing. Once he popped that one, he moved to the next. And then the next, revealing the first inch of cleavage.

My breath caught. "What are you doing?" I gasped out.

He sat up without any help from his hands and bit the side of my neck, not hard. Just a nibble, but it was enough.

"You're eighteen, now," he said against my skin, fingers still working the buttons. "And you belong to me. That means I get to take you, to mark you."

My head fell back, loose on my neck. "Yes, please."

Lips back on my skin, he moved them up and down my throat, not kissing, but skimming ever so lightly. And then down, down to the opening of the shirt. At my breasts, he nuzzled the fabric aside and grazed his teeth over the side of my breast. Hands sliding from his shoulders to the base of his skull, I pushed his head closer to me, his mouth harder on my flesh. He took the hint and actually nipped at my breast.

As he nipped and licked my skin, I felt him wriggled underneath me. A moment later, the sound of something hitting floor, something like clothes. He'd taken off his sweats. The thought that the barest hint of a blanket and my soaked panties separated my core from his hard length had me groaning, the panties soaking through even more.

Growling against me, his fingers slid up my back until they hit the clasp of the bra. It was a strapless because I'd been wearing a tank yesterday. I got hot when I grocery shopped. So the moment he unhooked it, it fell from my body to land across my thighs. He growled again and dove back under the shirt, this time, his teeth taking in more of me. My nails dug into his back.

Eventually, his hands came up to slide along my collar bones and pushed the shirt off my shoulders. I shrugged the rest of the way out if it when his hands started down toward my breasts. Didn't want him distracted.

"Yes, Embry. Please."

His thumbs rolled over my pearled nipples and I moaned, that hot touch igniting my own fire. Reaching down between us, I burrowed under the blanket for his hard length.

When I brushed it with the back of my hand, he reared back and groaned. I took the opportunity to bite that full lower lip as I grasped him. With a growl, he mashed our lips together, both of us fighting for dominance as I used my knees to get the blanket out from between us.

The whole time, I continued to stroke that hot length. No idea what I was doing, if I was doing it right, but he wasn't complaining, so I kept it up. His big hands continued to knead and tease my breasts, tugging, pulling, and smoothing over.

My panties were totally in the way of me taking him, but I didn't want to let him go long enough to get them off.

"My panties," I gasped out. "Get rid of them."

He paused.

"I did my laundry the other day. I have more. Get these off, Embry. Now."

This time he snarled, hand fisting the material at my hip and ripped. My body jerked but I never lost my rhythm on his shaft. He was thick and silky smooth. So hot that I felt cold.

Finally. Moving myself closer to him, I wanted his inside me as soon as possible.

But his awareness floated to the surface first. "Wait. Foreplay first."

I shook my head. "No. I want this just as we are."

He pulled back enough to give me clear eyes. I didn't want him to have clear eyes so I fisted his shaft.

He groaned. "Not fair." Swallowing hard, he looked at me with less clear eyes. "Tricia, I'm not small and this is your first time."

"I know that. I can feel that," I said squeezing him again.

He gasped. "What about the pain?"

"It'll be the best pain of my life."

"No," he managed forcefully. "I won't hurt you, no matter what."

Frustrated, I used my other hand to grip his and, pressing his palm to my bare flesh, we both groaned.

"I'm wet enough, Embry."

"Yes, but," he said, his fingers playing over the sensitive flesh before he slid a finger inside me. "You're too tight."

The pressure was deliciously tight, my body sucking on that piece inside me. My nails sliced his back as my head went loose on my neck again.

"Fuck," I shouted.

"See? One finger is too tight. Let's go for two."

Sliding out the first, he went back in with two.

I cursed again, but this time, I rode those fingers, hips swinging over them for friction. Once, twice, three times he thrusted into me with those fingers. And then it was no longer tight. He did the whole process over again, only adding a third finger.

"How about three?" he growled.

My body jerked. The pressure was nearly painful, pressing against that inner wall that needed breaking. I knew that men could break it with their fingers because it wasn't that deep in. Which meant that Embry wasn't thrusting those fingers as deep as he needed to in order to break that barrier.

Lifting myself up, I was about to sit down hard so that his fingers would go deep, but on my downswing, he pressed his thumb to the top of my core and I screamed. The pleasure was so good, so intense that I just couldn't help myself. Bringing up his other hand, he swallowed the end of the scream with his mouth when he pushed my face to his.

Now that my mouth was otherwise occupied, he thrust the three fingers deep inside, obliterated that wall, and paused. Breaking from his mouth, I gasped, body absolutely still. The pain wasn't that bad. It was the discomfort that made me want to squirm.

"See?" he whispered. "Just let me stretch you a moment longer. Then I'm all yours."

To hurry the process, I moved my hips over his hand once more. Tight, yes. Pain, no.

"I'm good."

"You sure?"

I nodded. "Yes. I want you."

Eyes glued to mine, no doubt watching for any flinching, he put his hands under my thighs and lifted me. I gripped him once more (at some point I'd released him) and positioned the head of his erection at my entrance. Slowly, so slowly, he lowered my body down onto his.

The pressure was tighter than the three fingers because he was wider than three fingers. But I didn't flinch, didn't give him the satisfaction. In fact, I savored every inch of him that slid into me, committing it all to memory.

I grinned, eyes closed in order to use the rest of my senses. "So good," I whispered. "So tight."

Embry's erratic breathing caused his chest to rub against mine, my pearled nipples abrading his skin. Now that he was inside me, my body was a thousand times more sensitive, everything causing tingles to run through me.

"Make love to me, Embry. Give me the best birthday present ever."

He moved so fast, I didn't have time to register it before my back hit the footboard of his bed. There was nothing hesitant or gentle about his first thrust. Just almost all the way out and shoving back in. My body arched into his, and I reached up and over to grip the edge of the footboard.

Staying on his knees, Embry gripped my hips and thrust into me over and over. From this angle it wasn't too deep, giving me the ability to adjust to his size and the motions.

In this moment, I was glad that I had saved my virginity. Giving it to this man, with this kind of pleasure, just upped the jackpot for me. Everything was perfect.

Apparently, he wanted deeper, though, because he backed us up so that my back bounced into the mattress. And then he was sprawled on top of me, the head of his thick shaft pushing into my hot sheath once more. He growled, and I opened my eyes to watch him.

His body was taut, muscles straining, bunching. Resting his forearms next to my head, he leaned on them and slammed his hips home. My body bowed off the mattress, his lips connecting with my throat. As he pounded into me, hips swinging freely, his mouth explored my chest. When his tongue flicked over my nipple, I screamed again. The sensitivity I felt was bordering on pain, but I liked it. the bite mixing with the pleasure.

Though my legs were wrapped around his thighs, he reached down with one hand, fingers tracing my thigh until he reached the back of my knee. In one quick movement, he hitched that leg up over his hip and simultaneously thrust deeper inside me, hitting the end of me hard. My nails shredded his biceps.

He still gripped my leg, but I brought the other up to mirror the one he held, ankles locking at his lower back.

"That's it," he growled. "Let me in all the way."

My upper body arched once more, head digging into the mattress. "Yes, yes, so good. So perfect."

Moving his hand, he fisted my hair, forcing me to look at him.

"Tell me I'm yours. I need to hear it."

Digging my nails once more, no doubt bleeding him, I said as forcefully as I could, "You're mine. You belong to me. Every part of you has my name on it. No other woman can touch you. I'm your devil. And you're my angel."

"Devil," he grunted.

"That's right."

"So close, Devil. You have to come with me."

Hands leaving his arms, I stroked his face, those cheekbones. "I will. I need harder, faster. Give me everything."

My stomach was getting tight, shocks running through me. My brain was starting to short from the pleasure riding my body. I sensed that I was close, too.

With a sense of urgency, he reached between us. My breathing was becoming labored, body jerky, and then he pressed his thumb to the top of my core. I exploded, my body lighting up like a lightning storm. Pulse of electricity shot through me, and I screamed, my body breaking apart but staying in one piece.

I managed to open my eyes enough to see his satisfied grin. "Yes," he whispered.

And then he exploded, his rhythm turning erratic and harder, forcing me higher on the mattress.

Above me, he roared as his pleasure emptied into me, my body milking him, locking him inside me. Another spark of pleasure rushed through me but much gentler this time. This time I was able to ride it out and watch him at the same time.

Embry was absolutely exquisite as he orgasmed. Sweat glistening on his brow and temples. Body straining. Veins bulging. Muscles locking tight. He was a vision of raw maleness, raw power, beautifully molded into the man giving me the best moment of my life so far. And he was mine. All mine.

Suddenly, he let out a breath as if he'd been holding it, and fell to the side, slipping out of me. His arm slid over my stomach, leg lingering over my thighs. We laid like that for a while, just staring at each other, his fingers playing over my skin. My fingers in his hair since he was using that arm as a pillow.

He looked like he was contemplating something.

"What?" I asked softly.

"No condom," he whispered, eyes barely meeting mine.

A moment of panic fluttered inside me, but I was too sated to follow through. Besides, Embry had already told me he couldn't use a condom because of his body heat. And I wasn't willing to force him to use one and hurt himself.

So I shrugged. "And? You'd take care of me and a baby, right?"

He gave me a look.

Laughing, I rolled over onto my side and snuggled into his chest. "I will take that as a 'duh'. Stop worrying about that. I don't care what anybody thinks."

Smiling softly, he pressed a kiss between my eyes. "Good. I love you."

I chuckled. "Do all couples say that after sex?"

Pausing, he seemed to think about it. And then shrugged. "Only the ones that actually do love each other, I guess."

Tapping his lips with my finger, I said, "Well, then, I love you, too. And Embry?"

"Yeah?"

"Best moment of my life...so far. Of course, that would be replaced with the day you ask me to marry you. Which, by the way, will be a yes."

His turn to chuckle. "I'll remember that. Maybe I should just ask you now and make this the best day of your life."

"Uh, that wouldn't work. Kids, Embry. We're going to have kids. And I'm pretty sure they'll make the top of the list."

His warm lips pressed to my skin once more. "Absolutely. But for now, this is the best day. And I think I can live with that."

I patted his chest. "Me, too, angel. Me, too."

* * *

**I really loved this chapter. No need to say more. Please review? Pretty please? They make me happy. C: Love you, guys! xoxoxoxoxo**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19! Man, we're rolling. I know the past few chapters have been less Ness and Jake, and I am going to get back to our favorite couple. Promise. Pinky Promise. But this chapter is about Walker and Tricia because it's Tricia's birthday! At least you guys got to see her birthday present from Embry last chapter. ;) But now, the parents. Over all, I love this chapter. There is a treat for you at the end, but don't scroll down!**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**WalkerPOV**

Last night, after leaving the Cullen house from checking in on Shelby, Christa and I had tucked into the house for the night. Haleigh had barely let me go so that I could take a shower. And when it was her turn for a bath, she'd made me promise to sit in the hallway across from the bathroom while Christa went in with her.

Now, I woke up, late in the afternoon, with Haleigh sprawled over my chest, her head tucked under my chin. Christa was fitted into my side, my shoulder her pillow.

My two girls. Only two days gone, and I'd missed them something terrible. I stroked their hair simultaneously. Haleigh snuggled closer, but Christa woke up.

She smiled up at me. "Hey."

I smiled back. "Hi. I missed you so much."

Her smile widened, but she looked down at Haleigh. "We missed you, too." Reaching up, she twisted one of Haleigh's curls around her finger. "She called you 'daddy'."

I hadn't really thought about that fact since last night. She'd said it more and more after that first time in the clearing, muttering it over and over. Accepting it was an overbearing weight. If I showed how much it meant, she'd keep using it, and tomorrow we'd be sitting at dinner with Mom and Dad.

"Walker? Why aren't you happy about that? She loves you."

Closing my eyes, I lifted my free hand to rub them. "I know. I am happy. It feels right. I'm just thinking about tomorrow. If she blurts out that word, we might as well tell them we're married already. And that will break Mom's heart."

She stroked my stomach just above the waist of my pajama bottoms. "We don't have to tell them. All we need to do is tell Haleigh not to say anything about the ceremony. She's adopted. Calling us 'mommy' and 'daddy' is normal in young adopted kids. The two don't have to be connected."

"But she'll want to talk about it."

She sat up on her elbow and glared at me. "Walker, why are you fighting this? You want this. You want her to think of you that way."

Sighing, she was right, but I rubbed my eyes again. "For the record, I'm changing the subject. Tricia's birthday is today. Mine's tomorrow."

"Wait, your birthday is on Thanksgiving?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yeah. Look, I changed the subject to say that we can go to Tricia's birthday dinner tonight and have a trial run so the holiday isn't destroyed."

She grinned down at me. "That's a good idea, baby."

"Mommy?" Haleigh mumbled.

I watched my wife smile and stroke our daughter's hair. Two words that a normal eighteen year old guy would never think to think and be thrilled about it.

"Hey, sweetie. Did you sleep good?"

She nodded. "Mhm." And then I felt her start to panic, her heart rate rising. Planting her bony elbow into my chest painfully, she sat up. "Where's Daddy?"

Christa chuckled.

"I'm right here, baby girl," I said gently moving her elbow.

Turning back, her eyes were wide as she took in where she was. And then she grinned and threw her arms around my neck. "Daddy!"

Christa moved so that I could wrap both my arms around Haleigh. God, the sound of her calling me that made me love her more. The more I was around her, the more I saw her smile at me, the more I thought of her as my daughter. It was so hard to explain the difference between my feelings toward Tricia and my feelings toward Haleigh. I supposed it was because Tricia now had someone to protect her, to watch over her. Haleigh had no parents, and had nobody that she trusted enough to let her guard down around. Years and years, Tricia had been my sister, had played that part, and now, it was just truth. That's what she was.

But Haleigh was different, and I had to protect her. And Christa.

"Come on, munchkin," I said, sitting up with my arms around her. "We get to have dinner with my parents tonight. And Tricia and Embry."

She frowned as I swung us off the bed. "Gramma and Grampa?"

Exchanging a look with Christa, I widened my eyes but stood up and headed for the kitchen. "About that, baby girl. Listen, I need you to do something for me, and it's important, okay?"

She nodded, expression serious, as I sat her on the kitchen counter.

Brushing her hair back on each side, I cupped her small face in my hands. "We're going to Gramma and Grampa's tonight, but you can't call them that just yet, ok? You can call me and Christa what you want, but my mom and dad are Miss June and Mr. David, alright?" She frowned but nodded anyway. "Also, don't say anything about the marriage."

"The what?" she asked.

"Mating ceremony," Christa interjected.

"Oh," she said in understanding. And then she frowned again. "Why can't I say anything?"

Christa stepped in beside me and rubbed Haleigh's leg. "Well, because that ceremony was just for us wolves. So they can't know about it."

"But why?" she pouted.

Christa narrowed her eyes playfully and leaned forward. "Because mommy and daddy want to have a big party, another ceremony that they can come to. They couldn't come to the other one because it wasn't for humans. And the big party is the one we want them to know about." She put a finger to her lips. "But shhh, they can't know about it until we're ready for them to know."

"Ohhh, it's a secret?"

Christa went with it. "Yes, it's a secret. Top priority. You can't tell anybody, ok?"

She nodded and held out her pinky. "I promise."

Christa smiled, wrapping her pinky around Haleigh's. "Good girl." She helped Haleigh off the counter. "Now, let's go get dressed."

They went for Haleigh's room, and I went back to ours. Checking the clock, I saw that we'd slept all day. It was four in the afternoon. Knowing Mom, dinner would be ready at five-thirty, just like every night. After I got dressed in jeans and a black button down, I called Tricia after seeing a missed call from Mom.

"Hey, big brother," she answered breathlessly.

It was the kind of breathlessness that I, as her brother, didn't need to know anything about. Especially since I could hear Embry and what sounded like a shower in the background.

I cleared my throat. "Hey, birthday girl."

"What's up?"

"Uh, it's your birthday. I'm assuming Mom is making you a birthday dinner. Christa, Haleigh, and I were going to go up there to join in if you didn't mind. Of course, if you wanted some alone time with Mom and Dad we'd understand."

"Oh, Walker, that would be amazing. I'd love that. And tomorrow will be yours. Mom called to say that she'd make Dad behave with Christa and Embry."

"Pfft, yeah right. Good luck with that."

She laughed. "That's what I said. But, uh, Walker, I kind of made a slip saying something about in-laws. I think I played it off good, but you never know with Mom. I'm sorry. It just kind of slipped."

"Trish, don't beat yourself up. We were going to announce an engagement tonight anyway. Just don't say anything about the wedding. We already told Haleigh not to say anything."

"Tricia, you joining me? If not, we'll be late." Embry's voice floated over the line.

"I'm coming," she yelled holding the phone away from her mouth, and then she was back. "Of course, I won't say anything, Walker. But I gotta go."

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you at Mom and Dad's. Love you, little sister."

"Love you, too, big brother."

We hung up just as there was a small knock on the open door. Turning, I saw Haleigh in a light blue dress and her hair braided down her back.

"Da-Walker, Christa asked me to tell you that we're ready."

Something inside me hurt at her indecision at what to call me. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I patted my knee. "Come here, baby girl." She came over to me and, picking her up, I sat her on my knee. "I know that we've been confusing about what to call us, so I want you to be honest with me, okay?" When she nodded, I asked, "What do_ you_ want to call me? And don't be scared about what I'll think."

All she did was stare at her doll's hair and chew on her lip. She did that a lot when she was feeling insecure. I didn't like that at all. I wanted her to feel absolutely comfortable around me. Christa and I had signed the papers that Carlisle had drawn up for the adoption. Haleigh was lawfully our daughter, and no child should feel like he or she couldn't be themselves around his or her own parents whether they be adoptive or biological.

Placing a finger under her chin, I lifted her head. "Haleigh, please tell me. What do you want to call me?"

"Daddy," she whispered.

I couldn't help the grin. "And Christa?"

Another whisper. "Mommy."

"Then mommy and daddy you shall call us."

We both looked to the door to find Christa. She was dressed in a nice pair of jeans, knee high boots, and a green v-cut sweater.

Smiling, she came over to kneel in front of us. She took Haleigh's hand and squeezed. "Haleigh, you call us what you want to call us. We signed the adoption papers. You're our daughter." She brushed some loose hair from Haleigh's cheek. "Our baby girl. It will take some getting used to, but we will get used to it, okay?"

Haleigh nodded before wrapping her arms around Christa's neck and planted a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm happy you're my mommy."

Christa hugged her back. "And I'm happy you're my sweet girl."

"Promise?"

Christa held out her pinky. "I pinky promise."

Haleigh giggled.

"Alright, my two beautiful girls. We gotta go or we'll be late. We need to stop by the camp. I want to check on them before he head up to town."

Christa scooped up Haleigh and went out to the truck that Jacob had let us keep. After locking up, I followed them. Christa's-our- place was only about five minutes from the turn off to where the camp was set up. We pulled up next to Bianca's tent. Not wanting to stay too long, I left the truck running and my two girls inside while I asked about the integration of Emma and Calahan's pack.

Speaking of, Emma emerged from the tent with Bianca. Emma was as petite as her name with strawberry blonde hair, light freckles, and a dainty frame. Anybody would assume her attitude was as delicate as her name and appearance, but that was only looking at her body. Once you looked at her eyes, you knew that she was dangerous. Any man that thought he could take her on was overestimating himself. I'd seen her fight. Women always fought dirty. Add some fangs and claws, and she was downright lethal. Even Calahan, the pack leader and her mate, was careful about her temper.

He emerged from the tent behind the women. He was as tall and broad as Emma was short and small. Jet black hair and eyes the color of a Husky's, his demeanor was as cold as those eyes, except for toward Emma and their son, Garrett. Truth be told, he made me more than a little uncomfortable because his pack feared him. That wasn't how I felt a pack should feel. But many of them had told me that they felt safe with him, and I supposed that was better than nothing. If it wasn't broke, I wasn't going to be the one to break it and then have to fix it. Nobody was crying foul.

We shook hands.

"How's the female and the young of the dead warrior?" he asked in a painfully deep voice.

"Brayden's not old enough to know what's going on, but Shelby's a strong woman. She'll pull through. I was going to check on them after my sister's birthday dinner tonight. How are you and Emma settling in? And Garrett? I trust you're being treated well."

"Very well. Bianca and Angelica are...wonderfully dominant females." He leaned in close to me. "You're allowing the same-sex relationships?"

Emma stepped up and punched his arm. "Cal, that is inappropriate. Walker has done wonders for this pack. You remember how it was when Edmund still led."

I laughed. "Yes, I am. I don't know about the norm overseas, but here, we're kind a roll-with-the-flow kind of bunch. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Bianca's my second and she's more familiar with how a pack should work so for now she deals more with pack business unless it's a big decision. Then, she gives me the options. I'm still learning, and recently infected." I held my hand again. "But hey, I just stopped by to check in on you, make sure you're and your pack are settling in just fine."

He took my hand. "I have a feeling we'll be fine. It's good land. Quiet. And a lot of our pack members are friends. Garrett really likes Xavier."

I chuckled. "Yeah, he's a good kid."

"As are you."

"Thanks. I'll see you guys later."

"Take care of your females."

"I will."

Hopping into the truck, I turned us around and went for what was sure to be a tense and eventful birthday dinner.

**ShelbyPOV**

Bella had rolled in Nessie's old crib so that I wouldn't have to be separated from my boys. Now, late in the afternoon, Brayden woke up with a gurgle. I'd been awake for about an hour, just stroking Seth's skin and hair. Caden had said that the boy had woken up a couple weeks after being infected, but his brain waves hadn't been as active as fast as Seth's. At the rate he was healing, Carlisle expected Seth to be fully healed by tomorrow morning. Hopefully, he'd even be awake. My hopes had skyrocketed. Just yesterday, his body had been lifeless in my arms, and now my blood was reviving him.

I changed and fed Brayden just before Bella and Edward came in to hand me a plate of food. I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, and now my stomach screamed. With a smile, Bella took Brayden to dance him around the room while I ate. Edward performed his normal tests and smiled when he got to the brain monitor.

"Almost at one hundred percent. If you're feeling up to it, I think we could perform the second transfusion."

"Absolutely. I just need someone to watch Brayden."

Bella laughed. "I don't think that'll be a problem. Who could let this precious little thing go? Would you want me to stay here or-"

I shook my head. "No. He needs to be around other people."

She nodded. "I'm sure the pack would love to see him. Those that aren't on patrol are hanging around the house."

"Yeah, family." I jumped as a sting landed in my arm. "Ouch."

"Sorry," Edward said as he continued with the transfusion tools.

Once I was hooked up, Bella bent forward so I could kiss Brayden before she took the plate and my son out of the room.

"I can stay, Shelby," Edward said.

I shook my head. "Nah, go do whatever you need to. I want some time."

"Of course. What about guests? The pack really wants to see you. So far, not all of them know that Seth is alive. Some believe he's still gone."

"Sure. Just a few at a time though."

"Absolutely."

About five minutes later, the first of the pack arrived. Edward had been right. The pack didn't know that Seth was alive. Each and every one of them had cried at my feet, thanking me the way Leah and Sue had. By the time the last one left, I was crying.

Hours had passed and Edward was back to remove the needles and tubes.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're more than welcome."

While he bandaged up my arm, Nessie and Jacob came in quietly along with Sam and Emily. Emily pulled me into a tight hug, and I knew she was crying by the shaking of her body. I stroked her hair and back.

After a moment, she pulled back and rubbed her eyes. "Ugh, I'm sorry. Just so much emotional whiplash."

"Tell me about it. I was here and it's still hard to believe that this is happening."

Sam had gone to stare down at Seth. "I don't understand why this didn't help with Jordan. He was attacked by an infected wolf."

I cleared my throat. "Actually, he was attacked by Nyla. She was born to two infected wolves. I think the infection was more of her DNA than disease." When he looked at me, I shrugged. "I've thought about that, too. He died protecting me. If there had been a way to save him, I would have."

"She has a point."

Caden was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.

"These things aren't always a sure thing. Just like I didn't know that this could work on two different races of werewolf. Otherwise I would have told Shelby to mix her blood with his immediately upon our arrival."

"It's ok, Caden," I said reassuringly. "You didn't know. And who would have guessed that something like this could happen? I wasn't trying to do anything, just give a piece of me to...to burn with him. It's still hard for me to believe that at any moment he could open his eyes, that he'll tell me he loves me again. That he'll hold his son again. But then I look at him and the fact that he's breathing on his own, his heart is beating strong, and his skin is warm. Getting my hopes up is scary but I trust Edward and Carlisle." I looked over to Nessie. "Did you see Brayden downstairs?"

She smiled as if she knew how worried I was. She always could see through my fake nonchalance. "He's fine. I think he's a chick magnet. Claire and Leila love him even though he's asleep."

I looked at my watch. "Oh man. I didn't realize how much time had passed." Outside, darkness had fallen over Forks. "He probably needs to be fed, too." And suddenly, I was as tired as my son even though it felt like I'd just woken up.

"I'll go get the little man," Jacob said before walking out.

I watched the door close behind him. "Ness, he really is gonna be a great dad."

Her nod was sad. "Yeah, he is."

Reaching forward, I gripped her hand, feeling her wedding band. Man, I wanted one of those. Maybe a tattoo. I'd always wanted a permanent ring on my finger.

"Sweetness, it'll happen for the two of you. I promise. Remember what Carlisle said? Things are definitely too stressful right now."

"Yeah, I know." Her thumb stroked my cheek when she put her hand to my face. "Thanks. Jake and I will be sleeping downstairs if you need us."

I frowned. "Wait, I thought you guys were hosting Thanksgiving?"

"We will, but not until Seth is back."

"No, Ness," I said shaking my head. "Don't do that. Just go on with your plans."

Her look was stern. "Not without you and Seth."

Reaching out, I gripped her hands. "Nessie, please. Just go ahead as if everything is normal, as if Seth is actually coming back. It will help me to believe it, too. I can call you if I need you."

Her lips tightened into a line, but I knew she was going to cave. And just as I thought, she nodded. "Ok, Shelby. Ok. Since I'm gonna do this we gotta get going so I can start cooking."

A loud crying preceded Jacob into the room. Brayden was not happy to be awake. Or he was hungry. Probably both.

"There she is," Jacob cooed as he handed me my baby.

"Thanks, guys."

"Jacob, Shelby is forcing us to do Thanksgiving so we need to get home so I can start cooking. We need to grab my mother, grandmother, and aunts on the way down."

Surprisingly, he didn't question it. Nodding, he wrapped his arm around Nessie's shoulder after pecking me on the cheek. I laid Brayden out in my arms. The crying died down but he was still cranky. Hungry it was.

"Alright, well, let's go grab them if they didn't already hear."

"Hey!" a voice yelled from downstairs. "Where my aunt goes, I go!"

We all laughed.

Cricket was as bad as Alice.

"Alice, tell Cricket she's coming, too," Nessie said with a giggle. And then she bent down to me, planting a kiss on my cheek. "Alright, well, you call us if anything changes, okay?"

"I will. I promise. Now all of you out. I need to feed my son."

They all chuckled as they made their way out, each of them stopping to touch me in some way. It was both to take comfort and offer comfort. I appreciated it more than they could possibly know. As I fed Brayden, I allowed Edward to come in to check on Seth. Edward said he was doing very well, the second transfusion having jumped his brain waves. There was a great chance he'd be on full battery power by late tonight or very early tomorrow morning. I had to keep telling myself that that didn't mean he'd be opening his eyes.

"Get some sleep, Shelby."

"I've been sleeping a lot."

Edward shook his head. "Not restfully. You were earlier and you need more of it. If Brayden won't go back down, we'd be happy to watch over him."

Sighing, I knew he was right. "Thanks, Mr. C."

He chuckled as he walked out with a "you're welcome".

Brayden was still feeding so I just watched Seth. His eyes had slowed under his lids. When I'd panicked, Carlisle had told me that was actually a good thing. Movement meant he was in the deepest form of sleep. When it slowed down, that meant he was more than likely closer and closer to waking up.

I watched as there were only a couple flicks every few minutes.

So close.

"Come on, baby," I whispered. "Come back to us. To me."

**TriciaPOV**

Embry and I made it up to Mom and Dad's place the same time Walker pulled into the driveway in a huge truck. Jumping out, he waved at us as he went around to open the passenger door. I noticed he'd taken off his wedding band, and my heart hurt. I wished he could tell them, but he was right. It would break Mom's heart.

Surprise hit me when Haleigh jumped out in a light blue dress. Grinning, she waved at me as she ran over.

"Hi, Miss Tricia. Daddy said it's your birthday," she said swishing the skirt of her dress.

My grin matched hers even though I was surprised at Walker's new name. I popped a fingertip on her nose as I crouched down. "It is my birthday. And if Walker is your daddy, then you get to call me Aunt Tricia. How does that sound?"

Her dark blue eyes lit up as she flung her arms around me. "Happy birthday, Aunt Tricia."

"Thank you, sweetie," I laughed, wrapping my arms around her.

When she pulled back, she looked all the way up at Embry, who smiled at her. "Hi, Mr. Embry."

"Hi, Haleigh." He held out his hand, palm up. "What's up, cupcake?"

Giggling, she slapped his hand.

"Are you my uncle?" she asked.

I laughed. She sure was getting outgoing, comfortable with us. But then she had Walker to protect her now. She felt safe, so it would make sense that she felt like she could be herself.

Embry just sort of balked at answering.

Walker laughed as he scooped her up. "Baby girl, easy on the questions."

"What's up, daddy-o?" I asked holding back a grin.

"Hush, you," he said before diving in to nibble on Haleigh's neck.

She was giggling furiously as Christa walked up beside them and the front door opened to reveal Mom standing there. She ran out the door to hug me.

"Oh, happy birthday, baby."

I hugged her back. "Hey, Mom. Thanks."

She pulled back to hug Embry. "Welcome back. Hopefully David will be more civil."

"Thanks. I think we can come to some sort agreement," he said with a chuckle.

What we were all tense about was when she turned to Walker with Haleigh in his arms. As expected, she froze. The little girl had lost her grin under that stare and tucked her face into his neck.

Instead of saying anything, though, she just tugged her shirt and smiled. "Hey, my sweet boy. It's been too long since you've been home. Christa, it's good to see you, too, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mrs. Johnson."

Walker and I both hid grins. The two women shared a name now.

"Mom, this is Haleigh."

She smiled at her. "Hi, Haleigh. It's nice to meet you."

It was a long moment before Haleigh offered a small smile. Which was a good sign.

"Hi," she murmured finally.

"Come on, let's get inside. Dinner's almost ready." She turned back to me. "I made your favorite."

I rubbed my hands together. "Ooo, enchiladas and Mexican rice."

Everybody laughed at me as I grabbed Embry's hand and pulled him into the house. Walker and Christa were next and then Mom. Dad was in the kitchen, making up his homemade salsa.

Skipping up to him, I kissed his cheek. "Hey, daddy. Smells good."

"Hey, baby girl. Who else is here? I heard voices."

"Embry, Walker, and Christa, so be nice, Dad. Please. Just try to get along with them. Christa and Embry are pretty permanent."

He sighed. "I figured that out when you and Walker stood up for them." Another sigh, this one defeated. "Ok, ok, I'll be nice."

I turned away and then thought to tell him about Haleigh. "Oh, and there's a little one here, too, so you have to be nice anyway."

With wide eyes, he turned in shock. "What do you mean 'little one'?" And then his eyes went to my stomach. "Tricia…"

I laughed. "No, dad. I'm not pregnant. And if I was it wouldn't be far enough along to count."

His eyes widened, eyebrows meeting his hairline. "Wait a second, are you saying that you've...that you and Embry have…"

A pair of big hands settled on my shoulders. Embry's warmth gave me the strength to meet my dad in the eye.

"Dad, that's not really any of your business. But I was talking about Haleigh. She's six and here with Walker and Christa."

Dad clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and glared at Embry. "I can't stop," he motioned to the two of us, "this, can I?"

Embry and I both shook our heads.

"She was right," Embry said. "I'm permanent. Period. Nothing will change that. And Christa is permanent with Walker."

Again my dad sighed and held out his hand to Embry. "Then, I guess all I can say is take care of my little girl."

Embry reached around me to take that hand. "Of course. Nothing is higher on my list of priorities."

"Tricia? Embry? David? Everything is ready except for you," Mom called from the dining room.

A high pitched giggle echoed after her voice.

I took Dad's hand. "Come on, Dad. Let's eat. We're starving."

"By the way," Dad said. "What happened to your face?" he asked Embry.

Embry, as well as all the other wolves, had wounds and bruises covering their bodies. Embry's had healed significantly since our hot interlude before coming out here. Apparently, it had something to do with the fact that he'd been with his imprint intimately. Well, if "being" with me intimately helped heal him, I'd gladly spend all night in bed with him.

"Fight," Embry answered gruffly.

"Did you win?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good man."

I rolled my eyes. Bonding over a fight. Men.

When we finally sat down at the table, Dad stared at Haleigh in Walker's lap. He was trying to get her to sit in her own chair. Eventually, she scooted over between Walker and Christa. Christa put a napkin in her lap.

"David, quit staring. It's rude," Mom scolded as Embry pulled my chair out for me.

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "So, who is that little gem?" he asked with a genuine smile at Haleigh. She shrank back until Walker's body hid her from Dad's view.

Walker laughed and pushed her forward. "Haleigh, say hi to my dad. Don't be rude."

"Hi, Mr. David."

When Dad got a good look at her, his jaw dropped. She was unusually pretty for a six year old. Dark blue eyes, coffee brown hair, and a light smattering of freckles.

"Well, hi, there, beautiful." He looked up at Walker. "Are you babysitting her tonight for a friend?"

Walker cleared his throat and looked at me. I nodded with a wink and smile.

"Well, Dad," he started as we all passed the food around. "I, uh-"

Haleigh tugged on Walker's sleeve before he could finish. "Daddy, can I have more milk?"

The room froze, but Walker didn't miss a beat. He was already twined around her pinky.

"Of course, baby girl." Grabbing her glass, he met Dad's eyes head on as he went to the kitchen to get her more milk.

When he sat back down, Dad's eyebrows took another hike. "'Daddy'?"

Walker reached around to grip Christa's shoulder, which she reached up to grip with her left hand. The wedding ring gleamed in the light from the chandelier over the table. Of course, Dad's eyes narrowed and Mom gasped.

Walker cleared his throat. "I'm only going to say this once. This is Tricia's birthday and we aren't going to ruin it, so pay attention and get over it. Christa and I are getting married." He glanced down at Haleigh, who frowned and pressed her lips into a tight line. "And we've already signed papers to adopt Haleigh."

Dad just gaped. Mom teared up, covering her mouth with her hand. Her other hand clutched at her chest.

"Walker-," Dad started.

My brother shook his head. "No. You're not going to tell me I'm too young. I turn nineteen tomorrow."

"And you think that automatically makes you old enough and mature enough to handle a new relationship _and_ adopting a little girl? Walker, being a parent is a lot more than being a brother."

"Dammit, Dad, I know that." He slapped his hand into the table.

"Walker," Christa warned softly as Haleigh shrank into her side.

My brother took a deep breath. "You don't understand what all I've been through in the past few months."

Christa shot him a warning glance.

I frowned. He'd never told me what exactly he'd been through, and neither had Embry. Every time I'd asked he'd told me I needed to ask my brother.

He nodded and gripped her shoulder tightly. "Dad, I know that there's a lot I have to learn. But I also feel like I've matured enough for this. Haleigh doesn't have or trust anybody else to take care of her. Even if Christa weren't in the picture, I wouldn't be able to turn her away. She believes in me, trusts me. Why can't you?"

Grinning, Haleigh cuddled into Walker's side. Seemed like she was a daddy's girl.

"And what about her parents?" Dad was like a dog with a bone.

Walker glared at him. "They're dead," he answered stiffly between his teeth.

"Oh," was Dad's brilliant response. "Well, how did she come into the picture?"

"New friends of mine."

"This is all so sudden," Mom finally managed.

Walker offered her a smirk. "I know, Mom. And I'm sorry to just throw this on you." Then he looked at me. "Sorry, Trish."

"Don't be. I'm glad this is out."

Embry gripped my hand under the table to bring my knuckles up to his lips.

Dad threw his hands in the air. "I suppose you two are next in the kid department," he said to us in a sigh of defeat.

Walker relaxed visibly in his chair and leaned over to kiss Haleigh's hair.

"Sir," Embry said, his voice deep and commanding. "There are things about the five of us that you don't understand, things that we can't tell you unless absolutely necessary or unless we think you can handle it. Now is not that time. Walker and I both were in that fight. It wasn't just some bar brawl. It was serious. Though he's only nineteen, Walker is more than capable of taking care of a wife and child. And as for me and Tricia?" He shrugged. "Kids may very well be on the way. Christa, Walker, and I share a condition in which protection on the males' part isn't an option. But I would be damned if I ever left Tricia alone to carry a child of mine." Leaning forward toward my dad, he said, "Like I told you before, Christa and I are permanent. Consider us in-laws. And consider that little girl your granddaughter. You're lucky to have her as such."

Glowing with pride at my man, I snuggled up against him as Dad blinked. Ever since we'd made love earlier today, Embry had somehow seemed taller, bigger. The whole walk up here, he'd kept me close to his side, hands roaming my body, eyes on our surroundings. Every time something in the woods had made a sound, he'd growled.

What was more was that Dad seemed to be taking in what Embry had said. Sitting back in his chair, his eyes sherry eyes, so much like Walker's, roamed the five of us. Especially Embry and Walker. And then they landed on Haleigh, who was glancing between him and Walker.

"Well," Mom said, while Dad was still lost in thought. "We should get eating before the food goes cold."

"Great idea, Mom. I'm starving," Walker said as his stomach rumbled.

Embry's echoed the call.

We laughed and dug in. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dad still watching us. He started eating as well, not at all acting his usual self. Usually, he was dominating, his presence taking up the space. But now, Walker and Embry had taken over, their dominance reigning over the females and my dad. And Dad must have felt it. He watched closely as Walker helped Haleigh cut up her food and pass Christa the bowl of rice. He watched how his son doted on his new, small family. And then Embry. How he ate with ease, his big hand on the back of my neck, massaging. A sense of ownership yet equality in the gesture.

We were all almost done with our plates of seconds when Dad cleared his throat. We all stopped to watch him.

"It seems as if I have misjudged my children. Tricia, you were right about your mother and me. We did marry young. We raised the two of you to be strong, independent, and self-thinking since you were very young. And now, you've gone and grown up on me. I didn't want to accept that it's happened so fast. Still don't, but here it is. I may not agree with everything happening, but I will support you. Both of my children. I promise to...try to get along with you, Embry, and you, Christa. If you need any help with the wedding, let us know. We'll see what we can do to help."

Christa smiled at him. "Thank you. That really does mean a lot. Embry and I aren't trying to be antagonistic. And we both understand that Walker and Tricia are younger than we are. We'd never force them into anything. We love them, and we want to get along with you. Walker looks up to you. He wants to be the kind of dad that you were and are. Haleigh adores him, as do I. Losing him would destroy me. The same with Embry and Tricia."

Embry nodded in agreement. "I do love your daughter. Very much. I know it seems sudden, but like I said, there's a lot about us that you don't understand. Tricia means the world to me. I'd do anything to protect her."

Mom sniffled at the end of the table and dabbed her eyes with her napkin.

Dad cleared his throat, nodding. "I suppose you want to move out as well?" he asked me.

There was no accusation this time in his voice.

"I don't have to," I said quietly.

"David," Mom said.

He nodded. "I think it's too soon, probably because I don't understand, but again, I raised you to trust your gut. Your mother raised you to follow your heart. You're eighteen. If you want to move out, I can't stop you."

Embry and I shared a look.

"What do you think?"

He grinned at me. "I already gave you a key. It's up to you, sweetheart."

Tearing up, I ran around the table to throw my arms around my father's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you, daddy. Best birthday present ever. I'll visit all the time, I promise."

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me. "I've heard that before. Hell, I've said that before."

"I promise, Dad. You have a granddaughter now. I can bring her up." I looked over at Haleigh. "Would you like that? To come visit with me?"

At first, she just stared at me.

Walker leaned over. "Haleigh?"

Mom leaned forward. "We would love to get to know you, sweetheart."

She still didn't answer.

Dad leaned forward. "Haleigh," he said, getting her attention. When she looked at him, he continued, "I see you like dolls. My mother had a collection. Would you like to see them?"

Haleigh glanced up at me. I nodded encouragingly. And then she looked at Walker. He nodded, too.

Dad got up and went to stand next to her. He held his hand out to her. "It's ok, sweetheart. If there's one you like, you can have it."

"Go on, baby girl," Walker urged. "It's ok. Mommy and I will still be here when you get back." He held out his pinky. "Promise."

She thought about it for a moment before wrapping her pinky around his. And then she took Dad's hand.

"Okay. Are they pretty?" she asked as they made their way to the stairs.

"Very."

Making an excited noise, Mom got up to squeeze Christa. "Ah, congratulations! Let me see the ring." When Christa lifted her hand, Mom's eyes widened. "It's gorgeous." She turned eyes to Walker. "You did beautifully, baby."

"Thanks, Mom. But Haleigh actually picked it out."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Well my new grandbaby has some taste." She laughed. "And she's beautiful."

Walker and Christa shared a happy look and smile. Embry pulled me over to him so he could kiss my forehead.

"You two are next," Mom warned. "I want to see a ring on that finger."

"Mom," I scolded.

"What?" She looked at Embry. "I knew you were here to stay the moment I saw you look at my daughter. David is blind and in denial. He'll get over it."

Embry chuckled. "I'll see what I can do."

Mom clapped her hands. "I'm so excited. Have you thought about a date or anything for the wedding?"

"Mom," Walker laughed. "Today is Tricia's day. You can interrogate me and Christa tomorrow."

"Oh, I don't mind," I said with a grin. "Embry and I could just sneak off."

Jumping to an upright position, Mom pegged me with a glare. "Don't you dare. I still have homemade chocolate cake for you to eat."

Embry gave me a look. "I can't pass up homemade chocolate cake. So you can sneak off and I'll eat your piece."

They all laughed as I glared at him. "I don't think so. Mom's cakes are pure heaven."

"I'll go get it out of the freezer," Mom said and bustled back into the kitchen.

"Freezer?" Christa asked.

"Ice cream cake," Walker and I answered at the same time with the same groan of ecstasy.

A moment later, little feet pattered down the stairs.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Haleigh ran into the dining room, face flushed, eyes gleaming. There were two dolls in her arms. One was the one she'd come with. The other was the one she'd picked from the furnished attic where Dad kept all his collectables. It wasn't one of those creepy dolls but seemingly normal.

Walker picked her up to sit her in his lap. "Which one did you pick? Let me see."

With strawberry blonde hair and dark eyes, the doll looked startlingly like Christa. It had always been my favorite growing up.

"It looks like Mommy."

"Yes, it does. This one was Aunt Tricia's favorite, too."

She looked over to me. "Really?"

I nodded. "Mhm. I carried her everywhere with me. Keep her safe, okay?"

She nodded seriously, clutching both dolls to her. "I will."

Dad came up behind me holding a bag. It was a birthday present type of bag. Sitting down, he set it between himself and Embry. With narrow eyes, he said, "You open it after cake."

Just in time, Mom backed through the swinging door with the double chocolate cake in her hands. There were eighteen candles on the cake in the shape of a butterfly.

"Anybody want cake?"

**WalkerPOV**

Dinner was fantastic, and the cake was fabulous. Dad had made Tricia a jewelry box in his wood-working shop. It was gorgeous and Christa had salivated over it. Dad had noticed and had winked at me, letting me know he was on it.

The five of us were currently on our way to the Cullen place to check on Shelby. We'd wanted to get there quickly, so Haleigh was still covered in chocolate. Christa was carrying both dolls and Tricia was carrying the leftovers for both couples. Mom had made us take them.

"Hey, guys," Embry called to us before we reached the porch steps. A beeping was coming from inside.

"What's up?"

"Uh, there's something I need to tell you before you go in."

Christa and I exchanged a look.

"Okay?"

"It's Seth. The night we came back, Shelby mixed her blood with his because she wanted the pyre ceremony to burn some of her with him. But-"

"But?" Christa demanded.

He took in a deep breath and blew it roughly. "He's alive."

"What?! How?"

"Her blood, the infection. Caden could explain it better but it has something to do with the regenerative properties. His blood started up as did his heart. When they finally figured it out, they gave him a transfusion, more of her blood. Each time I check on them, he's even better."

All we could do was gape. Christa was tearing up.

"What about brain damage?"

Embry chuckled. "That was a popular question. Apparently, there's nothing the infection can't cure. Caden talked about the soul and sticking around for three days. You'd have to ask him. But you needed to know before going in there."

Nodding, we finally made it in the house. Christa took Haleigh to the bathroom to clean up. Embry, Tricia, and I went upstairs. The house was strangely quiet. Sue and Leah were passed out on the couches with blankets draped over them. The woods outside, though, were teeming with wolves that weren't on patrol. As we moved up, the beeping got louder and I could hear that it was a heart monitor.

Tricia stepped up in front of us at the door. She pressed a finger to her lips. "Brayden might be asleep. It's late." Delicately, she knocked on the door. "Shelby? It's Tricia, Walker, and Embry."

The door opened a moment later. Shelby was brushing her hair out, already dressed for bed in shorts and a t-shirt.

"Hey, guys. Come on in. Brayden's asleep though."

Tricia smiled back at us before reaching out to Shelby for a hug. "Embry just now told us that Seth was alive, or we would have been back sooner."

She laughed softly. "It's okay. I just gave the second transfusion. Carlisle said he should be up to one hundred percent by late tonight or early tomorrow morning. Where's Christa?"

"Cleaning chocolate off our daughter. And that's great, Shelbs," I said, pulling her in for a hug. "How's the little man?"

Moving aside, she motioned to the bed where Brayden was sprawled on Seth's chest. "He wouldn't go back down in the crib after I sat him next to his dad. Probably the body heat. It's a little drafty in here for a baby."

"That is so cute," Tricia gushed.

Moving closer to the bed, I could see Seth's chest rise and fall because Brayden's little body moved with each breath. This was crazy. I'd watched as the vampire had gone after Jacob. Was running toward them when the other had gone for Jacob's throat. Was going to take the blow for Jacob when Seth beat me to it. I'd had a front row seat to see him drop like a stone, his blood spraying everywhere from the throat wound. And now, he was being given a second chance. A second chance to fight to get back to his son, his mate. If anyone deserved it, he did.

"You have to be quiet, ok? The baby's sleeping," Christa's whispered voice floated into the room. I turned to the door

A moment later, they rounded the corner. Both dolls were back in Haleigh's grip. When she saw me, she ran to me. I scooped her up.

"Say hi to Miss Shelby. Quietly."

She waved. "Hi, Miss Shelby," she whispered.

Shelby tiredly smiled back. "Hey, cutie. Did you have lots of cake tonight?"

Haleigh nodded. "It was yummy."

"I bet. I love your new doll."

Clutching the doll to her, she tucked into my shoulder. "Thank you. Grampa gave her to me."

"Well, that was nice of him. She's very pretty."

"Thank you."

Again, Shelby smiled, but it was tired.

I cleared my throat. "We just came by to check on you." I looked at everybody else. "Why don't we get outta here and let her get some sleep. She's about to fall over."

We all said our goodbyes and gave her hugs, and a kiss in Haleigh's case, before leaving her to help heal her mate.

**JPOV**

My house was in total chaos. Alice and Rosalie were dashing around, decorating the house with fresh candles and table runners and other things that I didn't know the names of. Several aromas made my mouth water and stomach growl as I watched Bella, Esme, and Nessie cook dish after dish. The fridge was full to bursting with sides that would taste as good reheated and the freezer was full of homemade chocolates.

I had been tasting all the things that I could get away with tasting before Nessie caught me. After that, she'd been guarding the kitchen with a wooden spoon. Luckily, Emily had come up to help as well as my sisters. I'd taken Henry and Leila as a distraction from all the deliciousness I wasn't able to enjoy yet.

Henry loved Leila. He was always hovering over my shoulder to watch her. Since it was very late in the evening, she'd conked out about an hour ago. After putting her in the crib upstairs and keeping the monitor next to me, Henry and I found something on Nickelodeon to watch. It was way past his bedtime but he was too juiced to go down, excited about all the hustle and bustle. I was wide awake, too, but only because I was waiting for a call from Shelby or Edward about Seth.

Part of me was skeptical that this was actually happening, that Seth was actually going to open his eyes and talk to us again. That he would laugh, smile, and joke around again. The world had already seemed dark and bleak without him.

The front door opening once more shook me out of my thoughts. Cricket and Trey hauled in some grocery bags. Alice had given them some money and the keys to her porsche so they could go get some things that were missing.

Cricket rubbed her hands together and blew hot breath into them. "Got the stuff for finger foods. Trey and I can work on prepping those. Then we can cook them tomorrow."

"We'll take them down to the big house once you're done," Bells said. "There's no more room in this fridge."

Trey came to flop down next to me. "Hey, cool. Avatar. Good show, my man." He reached across me to hold his hand out to Henry for a slap.

All too happy to make a new friend, Henry grinned and slapped that hand. I had to agree with Trey. For an animated show, it wasn't all that bad. Funny, serious, kids maturing too fast. Sounded a lot like my life.

Beside me, the monitor screeched to life.

"I'll get her, Em," I called over my shoulder as I got up.

"She's probably hungry."

"Make her a bottle. I'll feed her."

"Jacob,-"

I gave her a look. "Hey, I'm the godfather. I can take care of her while you girls have fun. Seriously, Em, visit and have a good time. I'll take care of the little squirt."

Not giving her time to answer, I took the steps three at a time. Going straight for the crib, I leaned over to pick up a squealing Leila.

"Oh, it's okay, sweetness," I said, putting her against my shoulder before I got a whiff of her. "Well," I said as my eyes watered, "I smell why you're so cranky. Let's get you cleaned up."

Laying her out on the changing table, I cleaned her up the best I could without giving her a bath. Once she was dry and powdered up, I slipped a new diaper around her and redressed her. She'd calmed down considerably by the time I picked her up again.

"There ya go. Now you feel better." She snuggled into my shoulder, positively tiny in my hands even though I knew she was normal size and healthy.

Back downstairs, I went into the kitchen to get the bottle from Emily. She kissed her daughter's forehead before I took Leila back to the couch. Henry was back to being all over me, laying his head on my arm to watch her eat as I laid her out in my arms, head propped into the crook of my arm, and pressed the bottle to her lips. Eyes on Henry, she took it. If I didn't know any better I'd think I was seeing a future couple.

"Well, she's cute," Trey said.

"This is my goddaughter, Leila. Sam and Emily's daughter."

He chuckled. "Looks like she has an admirer."

Glancing over my shoulder, I nodded. "Glad I'm not the only one to notice that."

Henry reached out, gently, to rub his fingers over her hair.

It was hard to believe that I was holding the future of the pack in my arms. A future female protector. And if things happened the way I saw them, her male protector.

Because Henry could very well imprint on Leila.

As seen with Seth's miraculous feat, anything was possible.

**SethPOV**

The inside of my head was chaotic.

I knew I was no longer floating above my body because I wasn't seeing Shelby sleep next to me, or Brayden in the crib. Something solid but light was on my chest. That I could feel.

But it was like I could see all the functions of my brain rushing to catch up with the time lost. There were parts of my brain that were healing before my eyes, and I knew that I had died. If the out of body experience hadn't clued me in first.

What the hell was going on? How was I alive?

I'd been sucked back into my body the moment the monitors had started leveling out, which was good. I'd been feeling like I was slipping, fingers sliding over the grip I had of watching my mate and son.

Thinking of them, I somehow knew that Brayden was on my chest. Shelby had laid him there.

To my right, something whined. It wasn't on the outside of my body either. Looking over, I saw a wolf. My wolf. Standing next to me, he butted my hand. I petted his head, stroking the fur between his eyes. He purred.

"Almost, buddy. We're almost out."

There was one last gray spot that I could see. Outside of my own head, I could hear the machines getting louder, the way sounds do when you're asleep and start to wake up.

And then I thought, maybe this wasn't real. Maybe I was stuck in purgatory, dreaming of the way I wanted things to go, dreaming of getting back to my family.

But then, my nose registered a scent. Shelby's scent. And Brayden's.

No. This was real, dammit. Somehow they'd found a way to bring me back.

"Come on, come on," I whispered.

It was like that one spot was keeping me trapped here in my own head, like it was keeping my awareness protected until my body was well enough to handle it. Once it was gone, I had a feeling I'd be free.

The wolf beside me whined as the spot got smaller and smaller.

And then it was gone.

Consciousness sucked me out of that domed arena of my neurons to stretch me, filling out my skin, the wolf's presence right behind me. It took several minutes to adjust, and when I could finally open my eyes, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The ceiling.

Over to my left, the picture window with its heavy drapes.

Over my left shoulder, the monitors.

Movement on my chest brought my eyes down to see the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. The top of my son's head, all that thick black hair resting over my heart. And at my right hand, Shelby curled around my fingers, lips pressed to the skin of my wrist. In all the time I'd been here, she hadn't left my side.

Two days I had spent trying to talk to them before I'd realized what had happened. And then sorrow as Shelby's heart had broken. All the way back from that clearing, my...soul had been connected to my body. For some reason, I couldn't let go.

And now I knew why.

I was back. Something, some miracle, had brought me back to my family.

With the warmth of my son blanketing me and my mate's love enveloping me, I started to cry.

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**Uh-huh, uh-huh! So? Who's as excited as I am?! Let me know! Review please? Pretty please?! Love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20! Man, I love this! No drama this chapter. Decided to give the holiday a break. And I think I've got all the names of the kids figured out for their series! Woo hoo!**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**ShelbyPOV**

All of a sudden, my dream started to shake. Earthquake?

No. My dream was about Seth. An earthquake seemed a little out of place. My dreams weren't that sporadic.

With that realization, consciousness started to pull me out of sleep. I was still shaking. No, not me. The bed.

Thinking someone was in the room, messing with Seth, I shot upright only to find the room empty except the three of us. Frowning, I looked down.

And gave a small yelp.

Seth was crying, and not sleep crying. Great racking sobs made the bed shudder. His fingers had tightened around mine. I just watched him, not daring to breathe or believe that this was actually happening.

When he took a deep, calming breath, his eyes opened and found mine.

"Shel-by," his shattered voice croaked.

Letting out a sob, I leaned over him, pressing my lips as gently as I could to his. "Seth, it's really you. You're back."

Burying my face in his neck, I cried and wept in joy. Brayden was still asleep further down on Seth's chest. A moment later, I felt a hand in my hair. Seth's fingers weakly brushed through to my scalp, pressing my head closer to his body.

"Love...you."

"I love you, too, Seth. So much. But don't talk, okay? You need to get used to being functional again."

Sitting up, I found that he was still crying, his hand going to Brayden's back. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply.

"Edward, get in here. I know you're out there."

Sure enough, a second later, Edward was beside the bed, smiling down at us. "It's good to have you back, Seth."

"Good...to be...back."

Reaching over to the table, I grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the pitcher. Sticking a bendy straw in it, I put it in his face. "Here. Since you insist on talking, at least hydrate."

He did as I asked, wincing as he sucked down the liquid. At least his lips weren't chapped. I'd been putting chapstick on him so it wouldn't happen. Edward checked all the machines, and then did his own assessment. He checked Seth's eyes, lungs, and pulse. And then he helped him stretch and bend his arms and legs. At first, Seth winced and hissed through his teeth, but Brayden asleep on him helped keep him quiet. After about thirty minutes, Seth was moving much easier, still weak, but easier.

"I think that's enough, Edward," I said, mopping the sweat from Seth's forehead.

Edward nodded. "I'll be back later. We don't want you to get too stiff." He looked to me. "I'm sure the others will want to know."

I nodded. "I'll call them. I just want some more time."

Once he was gone, Seth and I just stared at each other, his big hand rubbing our son's back as he slept. His other hand reached up to stroke over my cheek and play with my hair.

He swallowed hard before saying, "I watched you," raspily.

"What do you mean?" I whispered, my own hand rubbing up and down his arm.

"When I was...outside my body. I watched you." He frowned. "But...I...c-couldn't," swallow, "hear Caden. What he said. What...brought me...back?"

With my other hand, I reached up to stroke his hair. "Shh, don't strain yourself. And it was my blood. Did you see me cut my hand and then yours?" I didn't question that he saw us. If he said he did, then he did. He wouldn't say something without being absolutely sure.

He nodded.

"The infection in my blood regenerated everything, even your brain. Of course, I didn't know that that would work, hadn't even thought about that. I'd just wanted a part of me with you, always. After saying my goodbyes, I had to leave the room, or I wouldn't have let you go. It was Caden and Edward who heard your blood and heart. It was so slow because of the small amount of blood I'd given you. At first, I didn't want to believe what Caden was saying, to get my hopes up, but after Caden talked me into giving you a transfusion, your vitals just shot up. The second transfusion helped even more. And I've been by your side ever since."

More tears filled his eyes as he cupped my cheek. "You...saved me. You're my...miracle."

My turn to tear up. "I think we're even. Your love saved me. My blood saved you." Stroking his cheek, I said, "I gotta call Sue and Jake. They'll kill me if they find out I've waited this long to call."

"What time is it?"

"Two in the morning. Thanksgiving day. And let me tell ya, I'm looking at what I'm thankful for."

He chuckled but winced. Offering the cup to him again, he took more water. Less wincing this time.

Putting the down the cup, I managed to wrench myself away from him to get my cell phone on the counter where I'd left it to charge.

Pressing speed dial, I waited for Sue to answer even though she was downstairs asleep. I didn't want to leave Seth for one second.

"Shelby?" she asked, sleep coating her voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Sue...he's awake. Weak, but awake."

"What? Did you just say-"

"Yes," I said with a smile. "He's awake. Come up and see."

"On our way."

Laughing, I hung up and turned to, again, make sure that this was actually happening. Seth had elevated the bed so that he had to hold Brayden. He was watching our son sleep, silent tears seeping down his cheeks.

Wanting to give them a moment, I speed dialed Nessie.

When she picked up, I said, "Ness, he's awake."

**RPOV**

My cell phone nearly slipped from my fingers, but I managed to catch it.

"Uh, yeah. I-I'll let them know."

"Sue and Leah are here right now. We'd prefer to visit ourselves for a little while."

"Of course."

We hung up, and all I could do was stare at the phone in shock.

"Ness?" Jacob asked worriedly.

When I didn't answer, he handed Leila to Trey and jumped the couched to get to me.

His hands smoothed over my temples. "Nessie, baby, what is it?"

"That was Shelby. Seth's awake."

The entire house froze.

"What?" Jake asked.

"Seth. He's awake."

For a moment, he just stared at me. And then he wrapped his arms around my waist, buried his face in my hair, and popped me off my feet. The whole house cheered.

Wrapping my arms around him, I kissed his neck.

When he put me back down, I said, "She, Sue, and Leah want some time with him tonight. But I think we can all rest easy now. He's awake and talking, drinking water, holding Brayden. He's back."

"Well,"Cricket spoke up. "I think that calls for a drink and a toast."

Emily nodded, grinning. "I like the way she thinks." And then she went for her bag. "I brought some wine."

Jacob went for the wine glasses hanging under the cabinets and set them on the counter before grabbing a corkscrew from a drawer. He opened the bottle and poured the drinks, handing the glasses out to those who actually consumed things other than blood.

Jacob raised his glass and we all followed.

"To Seth, the man who selflessly gave his life for mine. And to Shelby, whose love and blood brought him back to us for a second chance to be with his family."

"To Seth! To Shelby!"

We all drank to the occasion. The wine was sweet and perfect. My first taste of alcohol besides the champagne at my wedding. I liked it. Jacob pulled me into his side and kissed the top of my head. Cricket turned on my iPod sound system, cranking music throughout the house.

Celebrating, we danced throughout the rest of the morning, the sun actually shining bright through the drapes. Leila was snoozing in the playpen in the living room. Henry was asleep on the couch.

Eventually, Sam, Paul, and Tom came up to the house looking for their wives. When they found out the reason for the celebration, they had drinks of their own. The party wound down after about another hour or so. My family left. Trey and Cricket went up to their room, tipsy from all the wine. Emily picked up Leila and left with Sam. Tom scooped up a limp Henry, walking out with Jake's sisters and Paul.

After everyone left and Cricket and Trey were tucked in, Jacob and I collapsed on the couch. I was tired tucked into Jacob's side. He wiped a hand down his face, also exhausted.

"God, what a day."

"And night," I offered.

He groaned. "You're right. Man, are we off track."

I laughed and stroked a hand down his abs. "We did sleep late in the afternoon, Jake. Come on, let's put out the fire and get some sleep. Seth is awake. We can visit him tomorrow."

"You mean later today," he huffed as he pulled us both off the couch.

We both groaned on our way down to bed after Jacob put the fire out. All the tension eased out of me as I cuddled down into the poofy mattress pad. Jacob's body enveloped me from behind, his face buried in the slope of my neck. In moments, he was snoring softly in my ear. Smiling, I myself started to drift off.

Before I did completely, however, I made the promise to myself that I'd find a way to show my immense gratitude for Seth's sacrifice on Jacob's behalf.

**Later that morning after everybody got some much needed rest...**

**SethPOV**

Paul and Rachel were sitting next to the hospital bed when I came out of the bathroom. The stretching exercises that Edward had insisted on helped tremendously. My lower back was a bit stiff, but that was probably from the very uncomfortable bed. I'd move into the recovery room tonight whether the doc liked it or not.

Brayden was napping in the crib beside my bed. Shelby had put him down before she'd headed to the kitchen to whip up some lunch. I was starving.

"Seth!" Rachel shouted, getting to her feet and rushing over to me.

"Shh," I hissed. "My kid's asleep. And I'm fine. I've been practicing with Edward."

She wrapped one of my arms around her shoulders. "You shouldn't be trying alone, Seth. You were dead for two days."

"Yes, and I feel great for a dead guy, Rach. Seriously, Shelby's blood worked a miracle. I feel as if I've done months of healing in just a few hours." Even though I was grateful for her now. I'd taken a shower and standing for that long seemed to have taken some of my energy, but I tried not to lean on her as she helped me toward the bed. Shelby had insisted on giving me another transfusion after we woke up again.

Brayden let out a little shout. I gave Rachel a look.

She sheepishly smiled at me. "Sorry."

Gently letting go of her so she wouldn't think I was actually mad at her, I made my way to the crib faster than I really should have. Leaning over the rail, I picked up my son.

"Hey, buddy. Did Aunt Rachel wake you up?"

He grinned at me and snuggled into my neck while his hand came up to pat my lips. I was pretty sure that meant he wanted me to talk.

"He looks just like you, Seth," Paul said with a grin.

"Most of me. His eyes are Shelby's though."

Brayden made that high pitched happy sound that babies tend to make. Across the room, the door opened and Shelby walked in balancing a plate and two glasses of what looked like sweet tea. Paul got up to help her.

"Thanks," she smiled up at him.

And then she looked at me, smile slipping a bit.

"Seth, seriously? I thought we talked about slow?"

I laughed. "Shelby, it's not like I tried to run a marathon. I just took a shower. And then Brayden woke up."

Her eyes bugged. "A shower?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how you stood to be near me. I was rank."

She looked up at Paul. "Can I kill him now, or should I wait?"

We all laughed. After a moment, she shook her head and joined in.

Man, it was good to be back. Good to see my mate smile instead of cry. My son's weight in my arms, his smile aimed at me once more. Hovering above my body, my soul had ached to be with them again, to be given another chance to be the father my son deserved, the mate my woman needed.

Paul came up to me, seriousness in his eyes. I handed Brayden over to Rachel. Tears started gathering in the male's eyes just before I embraced him. He hugged me back, tightly and cried silently into my shoulder.

"I missed you, brother," he choked out.

"I know, Paul. I know. I'd feel the same if it had been you."

Over his shoulder, I saw the two women tear up, Rachel reaching out to rub her husband's back.

Paul moved back and cleared his throat as he wiped his eyes. "You're the best of us. You always have been. Even Jake would agree with that."

Shaking my head, I was about to deny that when a deep voice said, "He's right. I would agree with that."

Everybody parted on each side of the door to reveal Jacob and Nessie standing there in the hallway. Jake and I just stared at each other. Compared to the other males of the pack, he was huge. Well over six feet, broad frame, and heavily muscled, he was everything an alpha should be. But in that moment, the look in his eyes showed a vulnerability that males only showed to those they trusted.

He cleared his throat. "I'd like a minute with my second in command," he asked roughly.

Rachel and Paul started for the door immediately, but Shelby looked up at me.

I nodded. "Go on. I'll be ok. Jake won't let anything happen to me."

On her way out, she hugged both Jacob and Nessie even though Ness locked her arm with Shelby's. She gave me a smile over my mate's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're back. I'll hug you when we come back."

I grinned. "I'll be ready for one of those famous Nessie hugs."

And then she was gone. Jacob stepped into the room and closed the door. Leaning back on the mattress, expecting him to sit in the chair, I was surprised when his big body dropped to his knees at my feet, head bowed.

"I owe you my life," he whispered.

Shaking my head, I knelt down in front of him, hand on his shoulder. "You owe me nothing."

His eyes were tear-filled as he looked up at me. "I owe you everything."

"Jacob, any of us would have taken that blow for you. Walker was on his way. I just got there first. And, who knows, the blood exchange may not have worked for him. The only reason it worked for me was because of my mate's sentimentality. Walker would be dead right now, burned to ashes." Laughing humorlessly I said, "I never believed in fate until just now. It was meant to be me. And here I am. A second chance."

"Because you're the best of us," he whispered through tears, his hand reaching up to clasp my neck.

Pulling my alpha to his feet, I hugged him the same way I'd hugged Paul. "You're my brother, Jake. Shelby had Brayden to keep her here, but Ness only has you. There was no way I could let you be taken from her, from all of us. It would have destroyed each one of us to burn your body. And there was definitely no way that I could be alpha, no way I could fill your shoes."

"I hate you. So much," he said raggedly. "You selfless bastard."

I chuckled. "I hate you, too, brother." Leaning back, I rested my hands on his shoulders. "I'd do it again, Jacob. In a heartbeat. That's just who I am. Shelby knows that. And she'd raise our son to know that."

"Well," he said pulling away to wipe his face. "You'll have one hell of a story to tell your grandkids."

We both laughed.

"I think we all will by the time this fight is over," I said just as a pounding sounded on the door.

"Jacob Black, you've had your minute!" Nessie yelled. "I want my hug, dammit."

Chuckling, he yelled back, "Alright, woman. Geez. Get in here."

The door flew open, and then a flash of auburn curls rushed in. She slowed down when she got to me, being gentle, and wrapped her arms around my waist. I wrapped mine around her back.

"I missed you," she whispered. And then she pulled back.

Okay, the tears of a female tugged at me. Especially this one.

"Thank you, Seth. Thank you so much for bringing him back to me. I will never be able to repay you for what you did, but thank you all the same."

Resting my cheek on top of her head, feeling my own tears surface, I muttered, "This is all the thanks I need." Clearing my throat, I pulled back to look at her. "Now, I heard that you and Jake are still hosting Thanksgiving."

Laughing through her tears, she nodded. "Your mate made me."

"Good. I've been dead for two days. I'm starving."

A shocked silence filled the room, as if they didn't expect me to joke about it. But then, Jake, being who he was, caught on and started laughing. When it became a belly-aching laugh, Nessie joined in. The joke hadn't been that funny, but their laughter was full of relief, as if they hadn't expected me to still be me after all this crap.

"Well," Nessie said, stroking a hand down my chest, "I think we'll have enough food for our guest of honor."

"Definitely," Jake agreed.

"Good. Now, Jake, could you grab that plate and those glasses? I am so sick of this room. And I need a tv."

He frowned. "Shouldn't I be the one to help you down the stairs?"

I snorted. "Please. Who said I needed help? Having a beautiful woman on my arm was my goal."

Nessie giggled but Jake rolled his eyes. "You've already got a baby. You ain't gettin' into my woman's pants."

My turn to roll my eyes. "Ness knows she's a sister to me. No need for explanations. Besides, knowing she's the one helping me down will be more incentive not to rush things and screw up."

Jake nodded. "Good point," he said, picking up the plate and the two glasses.

It took about ten minutes for us to get downstairs to the living room. My back kept spasming, but everything else worked fine. Surprisingly, the wounds I'd had were sealed up, pink scars on my skin. Not even bothering me.

When I finally managed to set my feet on the hardwood floor, the room froze. Everybody had gotten to their feet and turned to face me. The Cullens were all there. Christa, Haleigh, and Walker were taking up one couch. Embry and Tricia had been on the loveseat. Mom and Leah came out of the kitchen, both tearing up. Charlie had been sitting next to Billy's wheelchair against the window wall. Outside, various pack members had heard the stillness in the house and stopped to look into the windows.

Before I could say anything, they all started clapping. The wolves outside started howling. Nessie squeezed my waist and grinned up at me.

I didn't get choked up however until I saw Shelby walk out of the dining room with Brayden on her hip. The two most important people in my life.

Thinking about it, I realized that I hadn't given her a proper hello. Letting go of Nessie, I slowly made my way over to them. When I got there, I cradled her face in my hands, wiping her tears with my thumbs.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too."

Leaning in, I pressed my lips to hers, softly at first. And then I deepened the kiss. She opened for me, allowing my tongue to slip inside her warmth. A warmth I had missed fiercely.

The crowd in the living room cheered, and Brayden hit my jaw with a tiny fist.

Laughing, we broke apart to watch him. My energy was draining fast, though, and a rush of weakness flowed through me.

"Seth?" Shelby asked worriedly.

As I started to collapse, I felt a pair of big hands catch me under my arms. "Easy, big guy," Jacob said in my ear.

He sat me down in the big plushy chair. My breathing was labored, heart thudding against my chest.

While Carlisle checked me over, he gave me a look. "Slow, Seth. Don't overdo it. You could seriously hurt yourself."

"That's what I told him," Shelby said, glowering at me.

Cocking an eyebrow at her, I said, "My blood sugar is no doubt low, doc. I haven't eaten."

As I said that, Jake thrust the plate into my hands. It was full of roast beef, chicken, and ham with mashed potatoes, green beans, and mac-n-cheese.

"Happy Thanksgiving," he said. "Now stuff your face."

We all laughed as Shelby sat on the arm of the chair, Brayden smiling down at me. I dug in, groaning as the sustenance hit my stomach. So good.

Emmett turned on the tv and popped in a movie. I didn't care what it was as long as it wasn't the news or a soap opera. Bugh. Those things sucked.

When I was done with the plate, Esme took it from me. Carlisle had said no seconds. Too much, too soon. So, I pulled Shelby, and Brayden with her, into my lap sideways so her feet dangled over the arm of the chair.

This was what I was thankful for. Not just the two in my arms, but all of them. My entire family. They'd all come together to worry over me, to watch over my mate and son while I healed. I owed them.

A hand landed on my shoulder. Looking up, Edward was smiling down at me.

"Just as you told Jacob, you owe us nothing."

Brayden's little hand pressed over my heart.

As I stared at my future, I said, "Then I guess we're even."

**RPOV**

After we made sure that Seth was settled and okay, Jacob and I excused ourselves so that we could get things at the house together for dinner. Seth promised he'd be up there. Mom, Aunt Alice, Cricket, Aunt Rose, and Esme followed us up. Walker, Christa, and Haleigh came with. Walker called his pack on the way up and told them to join up. Luckily we had enough food. There was a lot to heat up, and already some of the wolves were at the house, wanting to help out. Jacob gathered some of the guys to help build up a bonfire and to clear an area in front of the cabin for the kids to run around.

Quil and Claire made it up at the same time so the two girls ran off together with Quil trailing them to make sure they didn't get too close to the lake.

Before he took off, he looked back at Jake. "Seth is really up and around?"

Jake nodded. "He is."

"Man, that mate of his is a keeper."

"Amen to that."

Quil ran off to catch up with the girls.

Out of nowhere, a smack landed on my backside. In shock, I turned to Jacob, who snuck in a squeeze before releasing me.

He laughed. "Go on. Help the women inside. The boys and I will clean up out here."

Narrowing my eyes playfully, I went up on my tiptoes and leaned on his chest. "I'll get you back for that."

Leaning into me, he wrapped an arm around my waist, his hand descending. Reaching around, I gripped his wrist.

"Can't wait," he growled against my lips.

"Mmm," I mumbled as he kissed me. "Love you."

"Love you, too. I'm very thankful for you."

"And I for you."

We shared another kiss before he pushed me toward the house.

About an hour later, most of the wolves had snacked themselves full, so they were running around outside. I was standing on the porch when Christa came up behind me.

"Hey, Ness."

"Hey. What's up? How's it feel to be married?"

"Weird," she said immediately.

We both laughed.

I nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"I'm so sorry, but Walker, Haleigh, and I need to go. It's his birthday and we need to see his parents. Again."

I turned to her in surprise. "It's his birthday? Why didn't you guys tell us? I'd have made something special."

She chuckled. "And that's why he didn't want you to know. He didn't want anything special."

"Yo, Chris! Babe, we gotta go," Walker yelled from the truck that Jacob had let them keep because of Haleigh.

Embry and Tricia had been chasing Claire and Haleigh. When Walker yelled, Haleigh had stopped, allowing Embry to scoop her up into his arms. She giggled as he tickled her.

"Uncle Embry! Stop!"

"Never!"

Laughing, Tricia shook her head. "I guess we should be heading out, too."

Turning, I wrapped my arms around Christa. "It was great to see you guys. Have fun."

"Thanks. His parents know about Haleigh and that we're engaged, so today should be a little better than yesterday."

"How'd they take it?"

"Walker's mom was cool about it, taking it in stride. It was my dear father-in-law we had to have a firm hand with. I think he's more fond of me than Embry though."

Leaves rustled at the bottom of the porch steps. We both turned to find Walker giving us a look.

"Chris, talk to her on the phone. Mom was expecting us thirty minutes ago."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm coming." As she walked down the steps, "See you later. If I can, I'll stop by to help with clean up."

"Don't worry about it. I've got family that never sleeps."

She laughed as she made her way to the vehicle. "Well, tell Seth we said hi when he manages to get up here."

"I will."

"Oh, hey, Bianca!" Walker called, turning away from us. "I want the pack back down at the camp before dark. The weather's supposed to get bad again."

The female nodded in response from where she was sitting around the bonfire with Xavier. "Roger that."

As he headed to the truck, he called over his shoulder, "Trish, Embry, grab my daughter and let's go."

While they all piled into the truck, I just glowed for them. Now that I knew that his parents knew about Haleigh, I understood his easy attitude today. He'd been so carefree, smiling easily. It was good to see him like that, accepting his role as young father.

Embry, Tricia, and Haleigh piled into the back of the cab, but Walker still had one more person to give an order to as he rolled down the window, slowly pulling the truck away as he talked

"Xavier!"

"Yes, sir?"

Walker gave him a look, but continued. "Talk with Jacob and Caden tonight about training, okay? Since we don't seem to have enemies around right now, maybe we can get started on that."

The boy nodded. "Yes, sir. I mean, yes, Walker."

"Good man," Walker said, sitting back into the truck.

I waved as they pulled away.

Not five seconds later, Dad's car pulled up in its place. As the passenger door opened, Dad dashed around to help Seth out of the car. The man hissed until he straightened with a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Edward."

"Not a problem."

Shelby and Brayden got out of the backseat. For a moment, Seth and Shelby fought over whether Seth should carry the diaper bag or not. Seth won. Not surprisingly.

As they walked up to the porch, Seth had his hand on Shelby's lower back. "Who just pulled away? I recognize the truck but Jake's inside."

"Walker, his sister, and their mates. Oh and Haleigh. Apparently, it's Walker's birthday and they need to go over to his parents' place." I smiled at my dad. "Hey, Dad."

He grinned at me. "Hey, sweetie."

Seth's eyebrows rose. "Ah. Bet Christa and Embry are havin' a blast with the in-laws."

"Oh yeah. Tons." Going down the steps, I offered him my arm. "Come on. We got food waitin' on ya."

Luckily, he wasn't as hard-headed as my husband and accepted the help I offered. By the time we made it to the top of the stairs, another car had pulled up, one I vaguely recognized. Alana got out of the driver's side, Patrick out of the passenger's. Shelby's dad and a woman I could only assume was Audrey got out of the back.

Jacob came to lean on the rail next to me. He didn't look exactly thrilled with the new guests, but he wasn't going to fight it either, not with Seth grinning at them.

"Hey, guys. Glad you could make it out." Then he turned to us. "Jake, that's Shelby's dad and his girlfriend, Audrey."

When they made it up the steps, he did all the introductions. I already knew Shelby's dad so I shook Audrey's hand. She was staring at me.

"You're not a wolf, are you?" she asked as if she already knew the answer.

I smiled gently. "No, I'm not. But my husband is."

"Ness," Jake scolded.

"Oh, hush. She already knows."

The woman looked over to Jacob. "I won't tell anyone. Seth spoke very highly of you. And it's very hard not to trust Seth."

I smiled smugly up at Jacob. "See? Great judge of character. Now go play football or something before you start glowering at us."

He scowled. "I don't glower."

"Yes, you do. You're doing it now." Turning him to the stairs, I smacked his ass. He jumped, turning to give me the same look I had him. I mocked his wide eyes. "Now, go."

"We're in public, woman," he grumbled all the way down the steps.

"Oh, please," I muttered before turning to Audrey with a smile. She laughed. "Come on in. We still have tons of food. The guys outside just finished round one. They'll be back in here in about an hour after they run it all off."

"Thank you for having us," she said as I led her into the house. "And the two of you make a very beautiful couple."

I actually felt myself flush. "Well, thank you. And it's our pleasure to have you here."

"You know, it's good when a couple can be openly married."

Frowning, I asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, how could I explain this?" she muttered to herself. "When a couple is first a couple, they have no problem being openly gooey, but once they're married, it's like everything gets shoved into a closet and nobody knows anything. I think it's healthy that the gooey relationship survives after being married."

Shelby snorted. "That's one couple you don't have to worry about getting shoved in a closet. They'd take advantage of that and the whole house would hear them." As I blushed again, she leaned into Audrey. "They've only been married a month."

Audrey nodded in understanding. "Ah, newlyweds."

"Exactly. They're disgusting."

Mr. Marks joined in with their laughter as I got plates and glasses down for them. They piled up their plates and sat down at the only clear space on the table. Seth sat in the seat that had remained open the whole day just for him. It was normally Jacob's seat, the head of the table. At first, Seth fought it, but I glared at him and he sat with a huff.

Shelby nudged him as she set his plate in front of him. "Quit bitching. You should feel honored."

"I just don't want everyone kicking up a fuss over me."

"So," Mr. Marks said as he cut up some turkey, "what exactly_ did_ happen? Noticed you weren't at full capacity."

Shelby, Seth, and I all shared a quick look.

It wasn't quick enough.

Mr. Marks glared at us. "How bad was it? If something happened to my future son-in-law, I would like to know."

Shelby beamed. Reaching forward, she patted his arm. "It was a very bad accident, Dad. We thought we lost him there for a while."

"What?!" he exploded, looking at me and Shelby. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Shelby," Seth admonished.

She shrugged. "It was a very...sudden turn of events. There really wasn't a period in which to tell you." She looked over at Seth and took his free hand with hers. "We got him back. It was a miracle, but here he is. I'm sorry, Dad."

Mr. Marks sighed before looking at Seth. "You need anything, anything at all, you let me know."

Seth chuckled, squeezing Shelby's hand. "I will." Then he motioned for Shelby to hand Brayden over. "Give him to me. You need to eat."

It was her turn to huff. "I'm fine. It's you who needs to eat."

Seth growled. "Give me our son, woman. I've already eaten once today. I'm supposed to take it slowly, remember? So hand him over."

Sighing, she did as her man told her and handed over their son. Seth stood Brayden on his lap, holding out the boy's arms. Brayden bounced happily, and then tried to reach out to Seth's plate.

Seth caught him. "Oh, no you don't. You can't have that yet. You are on a purely liquid diet, my friend."

We all laughed as Brayden gurgled.

A flash lit up the room.

As we all blinked, I looked over to find Jacob with my camera. He grinned as we all leaned in toward each other and smiled. Jacob clicked the button once more.

"Now, you go jump in, Jacob."

Esme was standing behind him, her hand held out for the camera.

He shook his head. "I don't do pictures."

"Shut up," I said. "Yes, you do. Remember my wall of pictures? And our wedding? Get over here."

Laughing, he handed over the camera and came to kneel between me and Seth. We got in one good picture before Brayden managed to evade his daddy's grasp and dig into the mashed potatoes and threw them onto the side of Jacob's face and neck.

That would definitely be one photo for the album.

"Better get used to it, Jake. My grandkids are gonna be just like that."

We all turned to find Billy, Charlie, and Sue in the doorway. Jacob's sisters were there, too.

More plates, more food. After seconds had been passed around to everyone, there were only a few leftovers. Sue, Rebecca, and Rachel helped me wrap them up and put them in the fridge before we went back to having fun.

Billy volunteered Jacob, Paul, and Tom to wash the dishes.

All three objected, but gave in anyway.

We took a picture to memorialize the moment.

The rest of the day was spent taking pictures. Candids and posed. Esme and I were what Jacob called "click happy". We also managed to get some of Walker's pack before they had to take off as the sun set per Walker's orders.

Eventually, Walker and Christa did manage to come back, so more pictures were taken. Embry and Tricia, too.

Even Jacob had ambushed me with Esme's camera, his arms held out in front of us in "selfie" mode.

Another one to match my favorite picture.

Later, as the house was empty once more, except for Cricket and Trey up in their room, Jake and I collapsed against the couch, stuffed.

"All in all, I think our first hosting of Thanksgiving was a success," he whispered into my hair.

In one statement, he had summed up the whole day.

* * *

**So? I loved the playfulness this chapter! YAY! Seth's back! Let me know how you feel about his one. I know not everybody was in it, but really? That would have been a book of it's own lol Love you guys xoxoxoxoxo**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21! Uhhh, I kind of love this chapter. And it kind of sets of the end of the story. This one just may not as quite as many chapters as the first two, but we'll see where the characters take us.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**A week later…**

**JPOV**

Peaceful. That's what the past week had been. Ness and I had visited everybody, checked in on Seth, and made love every night. Even with Cricket and Trey in the house. In fact, the two of them couldn't keep it down in their room, either. Multiple times, Ness and I had to turn the volume up on the tv or the stereo just to drown them out.

Walker and I had discussed what to do about Tristan and Jane. Alice said they were still in Italy, and the Denalis still out of her sights, which meant they were still around werewolves. It seemed that Nessie's idea was the only one we had. We call Aro to let him know he had traitors in his midst and we'd only reveal them and their actions if he released our friends to us. Even Edward agreed. According to Alice, Aro still wasn't any the wiser about where Jane had been or what havoc she'd stirred up here. Although, she said his attention had been pointed here from the news of the killings back when we first got Walker.

Even Edward agreed with the plan. Maybe there was a way to get Tristan and the pack put down for good. That would depend on if Aro had softened toward us in any way over the years. Maybe he wouldn't try to go to war with us for fear of his death again. Especially now that we had more wolves. Walker's pack plus Emma and Calahan's. They hadn't celebrated the holiday since they were from Europe. They hadn't wanted to intrude even though Ness had invited them.

Aro didn't know we had allies, but Caius did. Alice said that he seemed to be uneasy from the whispers he heard from packs he was spying on.

All we had to do was call on Aro. Carlisle could get through to him faster than any of us. Out of all of us, Carlisle was the most civil when it came to the Volturi. Caden was ready to rip Caius a new one. And I was itching for a rematch with Tristan.

Right now, Ness and I were in bed after waking up. I was half sitting up, my back against the headboard. Ness was curled into my side, head resting on my chest, the sheet pulled up over her breasts.

"Ness, I just don't see why we have to do this so soon. I mean, Jane and Tristan are in Italy and away from us. That's enough for me."

She sat up on her elbow to give me a look. "Really, Jake? I want to start actually trying for a family, and I don't feel safe knowing those two and Nyla are out there. I want this resolved. If we wait, Aro will wonder why. Not to mention, Tanya, Kate, and Garrett are being held captive. I want them home. That's my-our- family, Jake."

"Ness, it's the holidays." As soon as I said that, I realized how selfish I sounded. "Sorry, don't say anything to that." I sighed. "Okay, I'll talk to Edward, Seth, and Walker. See what Carlisle says."

"Thank you, baby."

"I just don't want them here, near you, near my family. Seth won't be able to fight. We'll all tie him down first."

"Of course." A frown pulled her brows down, her lip between her teeth.

Reaching under her, I pulled her on top of me, skin sliding on skin.

Surprise replaced her frown. "What are you doing?"

Stroking her hair out of her face, I gently kissed her lips that were still swollen from last night.

"Before we jump back into the drama, I want to make love to you again. Slowly this time."

Pulling her down to me, I pressed lips gently into the skin of her neck, just traveling, tasting every inch of her. She closed her eyes, breathing deep and labored and shaking. My hands roamed everything my lips couldn't.

"Jacob," she whispered.

Gripping her backside with one hand, I used the other to position myself at her entrance. Once I was there, I put both hands on her backside and slid her down on my shaft. She gasped, eyes closed, lip between her teeth. So slowly, I slid into her, still kissing down her throat. Her knees braced on the mattress outside of my thighs as I gently thrust up inside her welcoming warmth.

When she arched, I took advantage and suckled on her breast, my tongue dancing over her nipple before licking my way up to the spot over her heart. Her hips undulated against me, her thighs gripping me, her inner walls sucking my shaft deeper inside her.

As she rode me, her hands reached up to grip the headboard, giving me more access to her breasts. Her hips met mine as I continued thrusting into her and she kept riding me, circling me, arching so that her sensitive bundle of nerves hit my lower stomach. Every time she did, her stomach quivered.

A slow burn was starting in my stomach, making it quiver like Nessie's. The heat from her stroked me as solidly as her flesh did, burning me to my soul. But not a bad burn. It was that burn that let you know this person was the right one for you, that this person was your soul, and you knew they felt the same thing deep inside where nobody else could touch them.

Without warning, I gripped her hips and rolled us, her nails taking some of the headboard under them. Skimming down the side of her body, my fingers gripped the back of her knee and hitched her thigh up over my hip, deepening the thrusts.

Her nails scraped into my hair, her head thrown back, eyes closed. "Yes, Jacob," she gasped. "So deep."

Those moans echoed in my ears, vibrating down my spine.

"I love you," I whispered haggardly against her throat. "My wife. The most beautiful, gorgeous, kind-hearted woman I know." Another deep thrust. "The only woman that can set my blood on fire."

The burn inside me intensified, stars winking behind my eyelids. My body was aching, shaft throbbing with every thrust, fighting through the constant gripping of her body.

"Jacob," she moaned. "My alpha. I love you, too."

That was exactly what I needed.

Growling, my teeth sank into her shoulder as my body burst apart. I froze, deep inside her as I pulsed out everything that I was, everything I could offer her. It wasn't just my seed. Every time we did this, every time she brought me to orgasm, I gave up even more of me, of who I was, to her. Only she could ever get me to this point, bring me to this vulnerability. And I trusted her with it.

Her climax struck not long after. She threw her head back and let out a hoarse yell. Those hands shot down to my ass where her nails dug into my flesh, keeping me deep inside her.

With our bodies locked together, I just watched her. How beautiful she was in the grip of her passion. She was all mine, and I would get to watch her like this for many years to come. All we had to do was survive this battle. If she was right about the plan, we would. And then we could really try for the family we both wanted. No more running around trying to defend ourselves. No more multiple shifts on patrol and no sleep.

Just more days of loving her, of peace.

"Jacob?" Her voice was rough, like sandpaper.

Shaking my head a little, I smiled down at her. "Yeah, baby?"

"You ok?"

Studying her sweat-soaked skin and hair, I nodded. "Yeah. I'm perfect. Just thinking about what we're up against."

Her hands stroked my face, thumbs over my lips and then under my eyes. She licked her lips. "You once told me that you believe in Cricket's visions, in her gifts. And now, knowing who she's related to, I do, too. She somehow had a vision of our son. If I remember correctly, before those amazing orgasms you just gave me, we don't have a son. Yet."

"I want one," I whispered, leaning into her touch.

She smiled. "Me too. A little boy just like you, causing trouble. Dirty all the time, throwing food."

I laughed, just picturing what she was both groaned at the sensation before I slid out of her.

Settling between her legs, I stroked her hair. "No, I picture you pregnant, round belly, can't get off the couch without help." She laughed. Scooting down her body, I dropped all my weight on her, my ear to her stomach. "My head in your lap, ear pressed to your belly, hearing him move, his heartbeat. All our kids. They'll all be special."

Breathing deep, her hands came up to play in my hair and over my shoulders. "All?" she asked. "How many do you plan on?"

My fingers traced shapes on her hip. "A few."

She chuckled. "A few? How many is a few?"

Turning my head, I pressed my lips over her flat stomach, and waggled my eyebrows as I said, "A whole pack," before I blew a raspberry into her flesh.

A laugh burst from her throat, her body squirming under me as I tickled her, blowing raspberries everywhere I could reach. The laugh was the carefree one I had missed so much.

"Stop!" she managed through her laughter. A deep breath, "Oh, god, stop! Jake!"

"Nope. Not a chance."

She thrashed under me, legs kicking out. I managed to lay on them as I pressed my thumbs lightly on the spot just over her hips bones. Another laugh was gasped out. Touch her sides just under her shoulders just right, she squealed.

"Stop! I can't...breathe! And I gotta pee!"

Laughing, I rolled over enough for her to squirm out from under me. Hopping off the bed, she ran into the bathroom.

In the tangled up sheets, I rolled over onto my back, putting my hands up under my head. Studying the ceiling, I took a moment to really think about being a dad. Walker and Seth made it seem so easy, yet Billy always talked about how hard I'd been to deal with. But maybe that was part of it. You loved your kids no matter what they did because they were a part of you. Whether their problems stemmed from genes or environment, it's all on you, on the parent. And you love them despite where their life takes them.

The bathroom door opened, and Nessie rushed out, jumped on the bed. Crawling on top of me, she straddled my hips, which were covered by the sheet. Smoothing her hands up my arms, she pulled my hands out from behind my head and laced our fingers.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" she asked playfully. There were goosebumps on her arms. Apparently, she was cold. Hence the rushing to get back to bed.

"Parenthood," I answered.

Sighing, I zoned out.

She squeezed my hands. "What?"

"Are we gonna change?"

"How do you mean?" she asked softly.

"Like, are we still going to be this goofy, fun-loving couple? I mean, I know kids are going to make us mature, but are we gonna be like all those other serious couples? Or are we gonna be the cool parents?"

She chuckled. "I think we'll be the cool parents. Jake, we know when to be serious, but you and I have never had that 'no joke' mentality. You know, we can't go into raising kids thinking that we have to be the bad guys, that we know everything. We'll learn new things about ourselves and each other as we raise them. As they grow, so will we."

"You think?"

She shrugged. "It's what I believe." Tugging on my hands, she scooted off me. "Now, come on. I gotta fix us a good breakfast for the call we have to make today."

Quickly, she kissed me and then ran into the closet. A moment later, she came out wearing one of my flannel button downs(unbuttoned), a bra, and panties. A pair of jeans for me hung from one of her arms. After I slipped into them, she buttoned and zipped them for me while I buttoned up the shirt. Not all the way, mind you. Let's not get stupid. But enough to cover her up and leave a little cleavage.

When we finally made it to the kitchen, Trey and Cricket were sitting at the table, their heads bent together. Cricket looked up with a wide smile that turned wicked as she saw us.

"Have a good romp? Nearly got off just listening to you."

Nessie giggled as she skipped for the fridge.

"Even you can't ruin my good mood," I said to her playfully.

She snorted. "Of course not. You just got your family jewels polished."

Sitting at the head of the table with her at my right, I leaned on my elbow toward her. "Like you didn't polish Trey's last night?"

While she blushed, Trey looked up from his computer. "Hey! I did not ask to be brought into this conversation, nor did my family jewels."

I shrugged as Ness put a glass of tea in front of me. "Should have told your woman that before she brought up my sex life."

He gave her a look through his glasses.

She patted his cheek. "Don't pretend you didn't love every second of it."

A horrified look crossed his features. "What? Talking about their sex life? No, thank you."

"I meant ours, stupid."

Now a "duh" look was aimed at her. "Of course I love our sex life. What nineteen year old guy wouldn't? Especially when he's with the woman he loves."

Cricket gave him one of her rare, lovable smiles. "I love you, too, Trey."

"Aww, she does have a heart," I whispered over the rim of my glass before taking a sip.

And choked on it when she kicked my shin under the table.

"Now, now, you two," Nessie laughed as she placed a plate of eggs, bacon, and waffle in front of me.

"Thanks, baby," I said, digging in.

She smiled at me, but said, "Cricket, Trey, you guys want anything? I have plenty more."

"Oh, yes please. Looks awesome." She turned to Trey. "Baby." He wasn't paying attention, too engrossed in whatever he was doing. Sighing, she kicked him under the table. "Baby," she said sweetly as he jumped. "Do you want anything?"

"Uhhh, sure. Sounds good."

"Scrambled eggs ok?" Ness asked going back to the counter.

"Perfect," they both said in unison.

Nessie whipped up more food for the three of them. When she was done, her plate in her hand, I pulled her into my lap before she could sit down in a chair. My plate was clean so I set hers on top. She'd made extra for her plate knowing that she wouldn't eat it all, so I would get seconds. She knew me so well.

"So what were you two smiling about when we came up," she asked before taking a bite of waffle.

"Oh, nothing much. Just that whatever you two have come up with is going to work."

Nessie and I shared a look before she turned to Cricket. "You had another vision?"

The girl nodded. "Oh yeah." She frowned. "There was some fighting, but not everybody was involved. It was kind of like a fight ring. But in the end, we won."

"Anything else?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Know when this shindig might happen?"

"Sometime before Christmas."

"So, within the next couple of weeks," Ness said.

Cricket nodded. "Yup."

"Welp," Ness said, slapping a hand on my thigh. "Guess we better get dressed and get down to the house. Seems we got a plan to put in motion."

She hopped off my lap to hum her way back down to the bedroom while I finished up her plate. I could seriously get another taste of those swinging hips before we put that plan in motion.

Cricket was staring after her. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Smirking at her, I said, "Rubbed her the right way," before taking another bite.

**RPOV**

Even though Cricket had just affirmed that we'd be having some form of showdown with the Volturi, I couldn't bring myself to be pessimistic and morose. I was just in too much of a good mood. I hadn't felt this way since before everything started up and Jake had had to go to those stupid meetings with the Makah rez. Light and airy, I hummed as I got ready for the day. Dancing around the bathroom, I brushed my hair and teeth.

"You're in a very good mood."

Yelping, I spun around. Jacob was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, and a smirk stretching his lips.

When I could catch my breath and swallow my heart, I said, "Well, you and Cricket put me in it. First, the sweet love this morning. And then her vision that we'd win." I gripped my brush and bit my lip. "I...I just_ feel_ like this is almost over. Like we're finally going to be able to get on with our lives and start a family. Do you know how amazing it will be to have years exactly like the week we just had? No worries, no looking over our shoulders. Just days of being blissed out in bed. And then when the kids come along?" He came forward to wrap me in his arms. "I can almost taste it, Jake."

He kissed my nose. "Well, it's good to have this Nessie back. Hopefully, the call will go well today."

"It better because I'm not rehearsing."

He froze around me. "What do you mean 'you'?"

"I'm going to talk to Aro."

He shook his head. "Oh, no you're not."

Stepping out of his embrace, I went back to the mirror to finish brushing out my hair. "Oh, yes I am. I'm going to be the one to talk to him. It was me he was interested in to begin with. Remember? And he liked me. I think."

"Ness-"

"No, Jacob. I want to do this. Please." Putting the brush down, I turned to face him, leaning against the counter. "Since you and I had that big talk, I haven't questioned your orders. I've done everything you ask. And now, I'm asking you to trust me. To trust that I can be as strong as you, as brave as you."

A couple heartbeats of him staring at me passed before he sighed. Again, he took me in his arms. "Okay, baby. Okay. I've never doubted your strength. If you say you can do this, then you should do it."

"Thank you."

"I just want to keep you safe."

I laughed. "I think we both need to get over the fact that I'm not glass anymore, Jake. You can take me out of the bubble wrap. I gotta scrape my knee some time."

He shuddered playfully. "Ugh, I hate scraped knees."

Shaking my head, I reached up to kiss him. "Go put a shirt on and let's head down. I wanna get this over with."

"Yes, ma'am," he muttered against my lips.

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away.

Ten minutes later, we were on our way down to the house. Cricket and Trey had decided to come along. Ever since they'd started staying here, they'd been recluses, hibernating in their room. Probably catching up on sleep and jewel polishing.

Cricket wrapped her arm through mine. "So, who are you going to talk to again?"

I rolled my eyes. "Aro. The leader of the Volturi."

"And what does he look like again?"

"Tall, pale, dark hair. Red eyes. Creepy," Trey said without looking away from his book. "At least, that's what I remember."

I was impressed. He hadn't really shown that he was paying attention. Cricket gave him a dirty look.

"Why do you keep repeating questions?" Jacob asked.

She shrugged. "Just making sure."

"Of?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"My vision. He fits the description."

"Can you tell us who all will be fighting?"

She shook her head. "Only glimpses. Jake, I definitely know you are. And Ness, too. The only other two I saw were Caden and Shelby."

I frowned. "Shelby?"

"Oh yeah. But other than that, that's all I got."

Jacob's arm squeezed my waist. "So Ness is fighting."

Cricket's expression sobered up. "'Fraid so, my friend."

The rest of the walk was spent in silence as we all contemplated the coming fight, except for Trey, who was buried in his book. According to Cricket, he liked to read unusual things, liked to know random facts.

As we approached the kitchen door, Dad came out of the house.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Dad, this needs to happen. We've got to settle this. No more running around, trying to figure out what the hell is going on."

Exchanging a look with Jacob, he nodded. "Okay. Carlisle is dialing as we speak."

Going up on my toes, I kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Dad."

Knowing that I was about to be talking to the vampire that was considered top royalty, I still wasn't nervous. Instead, that happiness and strength was still alive in me. Aunt Alice took my hand to lead up the steps to Carlisle's office. Jake, scowling, followed us. Jake and I sat in the chairs opposite the desk. Cricket and Trey snuck in, standing against the bookshelves. She studied the portraits, frowning up at the same one that Caden had had a fit over.

"Yes, I am aware it is late, but seeing as how vampires do not sleep, I do not see why I cannot speak with him. Tell him it's urgent from Carlisle. Please and thank you."

My grandfather's tone was sharp and irritated. I tried to hold my smile back, but it was hard. Despite his civility, he wanted justice as well.

In a moment, his expression changed as if he were standing in front of someone important. "Aro, yes, I apologize for the late hour...If you're sure...Good, good. My family and I have recently come into some information, my granddaughter having come into most of it...Yes, Renesmee...Of course. She's here ready to speak with you."

Jacob gripped my hand and nodded to me.

Carlisle scooted the rotary phone over the desk and handed me the receiver.

Taking a deep breath and straightening my shoulders, I took the phone. "Hello, Aro."

A creepy sigh drifted over the phone. "Ah, Renesmee. You sound all grown up."

"Yes, sir. We believe I reached my maturity a year ago."

"And what age is that, my dear?"

"Nine years. I turned ten in September."

Surprisingly, I was calm with all the preliminary questions, but Jacob was not. He was huffing and puffing next to me. I just smiled.

"And you're fully matured? As well as mentally?"

"Yes."

"Fascinating." There was a rustle, and then he was repeating everything I'd just said, but it sounded distant as if he were talking to someone else. And then he was back. "Sweet Renesmee, congratulations on your marriage. I'm sure our invitation was just lost in the mail."

Panic started to set in. I could feel myself hyperventilating. But then Jacob's hand rubbed up and down my arm soothingly. Another deep breath, and I could answer him. "We felt that it would only upset you seeing as how you and the werewolves have differences of opinions. Even though my husband and his pack aren't the type of wolves you're used to. I apologize if you were expecting one."

Silence for a moment. "Fair enough, young one. Now, you're grandfather, my dear friend, has told me that there's something you need to tell me."

"Ah yes. We've had some issues with some european werewolves and we think that someone in the Volturi helped them. Without provocation, we've been attacked. I was almost killed, twice. A very dear friend of mine was very close to death, but we managed to bring him back in time."

I didn't want to tell him about Seth. If they knew how potent the werewolf infection was, they may fear that a better rival could be born even though we didn't know how Seth was affected.

"Do you have proof of these accusations?" His voice was soft and serious.

"My memories, which I can't share with you over the phone. I promise you that I would not be making these accusations unless I was sure. If you looked, I'm sure you'd find that Abigail is missing."

A long silence this time.

"Yes," he said slowly. "I was told that she was given time to travel."

He hadn't exploded yet from what I was saying. Instead, he seemed to be listening, to be taking it all in. Key word: seemed.

"I'm afraid not, Aro. She saved my life but it was clear she had been tortured. Starved. And she told me who had done those things to her." Before he asked, I continued with, "I would prefer to see you before revealing names, to show you."

I waited for his reply. He liked the extended silence, probably hoping I'd squirm. Well, not today. Gripping Jacob's fingers, I gave him an enthusiastic smile.

"What exactly are you asking of me? Of us?"

I thought about this carefully because if he came out here, I'd need something to say to him to convince him to give us the Denalis.

"Some of our family is missing. The Denalis. I'm sure you remember them. We want them home, and we know that they're in Italy, and not for vacation. Their home was torn apart. My husband and I just want our people safe. In these nine years, we have never given any reason for these attacks. I've never been a threat to our secret. It was the antagonistic wolves who hurt those people that you no doubt saw murdered on the news. That wasn't us. We did everything we could to prevent anybody else from getting hurt. All we want is to live peacefully on our little slice of land. Please. I'm asking you to help us stop these attacks. People will continue to die bringing our secret that much closer to public knowledge."

Appealing to his need to feel high and mighty, I felt my speech was pretty awesome. Jacob and Carlisle shared a grin.

"Get 'em, girlfriend," Cricket whispered.

Aro's silence ended, and I was forced to pay attention. "And when would you have us come out there? It is awfully last minute."

"And I understand that. Truly, I do. But the only way this can be resolved is if we get your help as soon as possible. Lives will be saved and the media will once again ignore us."

A sigh floated over to my ear. It sounded like a surrender type of sigh. "Very well, then. You are quite the negotiator, Renesmee Cullen."

_You ain't seen nothin' yet,_ I thought with a smirk.

"I feel that talking with my brothers would yield the same conclusion that I have come to. Therefore, I shall gather our people and be on our way."

With no doubt that his people included Jane and Caius, my day was a little brighter. And with the mention of the Denalis, I made sure that he would look for them to see if I was right, which would then lead to him finding Tristan and Nyla. No doubt, he'd bring all that he found. Aro was big on evidence and proof.

I grinned. "Thank you, Aro. Your presence will be a relief."

Cricket silently gagged.

"Very well. If that is all?"

"Of course. I understand you're busy."

"Goodbye, young Renesmee. It has been a pleasure."

"Goodbye, Aro."

I hung up the phone to pure silence in the room. Everybody was staring at me as I muttered, "Dirty old man." I shivered. "Bugh."

Jacob leaned toward me. "So?"

I met each person's gaze before grinning. "Tristan and Jane will be here before Christmas." And then I frowned. "Never thought I'd be happy to say that."

Laughing, Jacob scooped me up off the chair and into his arms. "I knew you could do it, baby! I'm proud of you."

Carlisle stood up with a grin. "You must have really convinced him if he agreed to come before the holiday."

"I just thought that if I could appeal to his kingliness, then maybe he'd feel the need to come out here. And I think it worked."

"Cricket!" Trey yelled.

Jacob and I turned in time for me to see him catch her. It looked like she'd fainted but he warned Carlisle away.

"It's ok. She's good. It's a vision."

Carlisle knelt down beside her anyway as Jake slid me to the floor. Aunt Alice was at her niece's feet.

"Does this happen often?" my grandfather asked.

Trey's glasses slipped down his nose as he shook his head, eyes worried, hands stroking her hair. "Only when she forces a vision. After it comes, she's helpless until it ends. I've only seen her do it a couple times." When Carlisle went to move her, Trey snarled, "No! If you move her, she'll go into a fit. Leave her alone."

I turned to my dad while the doctor looked her over. "What is she seeing?"

He frowned. "She's trying to see if you actually persuaded Aro to come here before Christmas."

"And?"

He shook his head. "I can't tell. Not yet."

"That's because it was her specific request for the vision," Trey said. "Once she knows, the vision will end, and you'll know."

"I don't understand why she would do that when I can," Aunt Alice said. "He hasn't made the decision in concrete yet, although he is leaning toward it. They don't celebrate Christmas."

"I…wanted to know...for myself."

All heads turned back to Cricket. She had a hand up to her face, eyes still closed.

"Trey?"

He stroked her hair and lifted her head into his lap. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here."

"That...sucked."

He choked out a laugh. "Well, you were the idiot with the bright idea."

"Oh, shut up and get me off the floor. You know I need something to eat after that."

Carlisle helped Trey get her up.

Jacob tightened his hold on me which grabbed my attention. He looked down at me. "I need to call a meeting of all three packs. We'll ask Caden to call another one of the packs that's on our side to see if they can get here before the Volturi."

Dad came to stand with us while Alice, Carlisle, and Trey helped Cricket down to the kitchen. "Maybe we could call our friends from last time to come witness."

Jacob shook his head. "No. I don't know these new wolves. Wouldn't want to chance a fight breaking out before the real battle has begun. It was different back when it was just a few of us and all on the same side."

"Good point. When do you want this meeting?"

"As soon as possible. Everybody needs to know what's going on, and we all need to start thinking of plans. This time, we invited them here. The ball's in our court."

"But that could easily change. If we've been growing, building an army, then so has Aro. Especially after what happened last time. Of course, I don't think that he'll guess about the other packs. But we can't forget that he creates vampires for power. Remember what Abigail said about that one that could strip a power from a vampire? That is an incredibly rare ability. Aro's been shopping."

Jacob smiled. "Well, then, I guess we'll just have to surround all the gifted vampires with wolves during this visit. If we can flood the woods around Forks and the rez with wolves, I think we'll be just fine."

"I agree with Jake."

Dad frowned. "It seems too simple."

"Hey, sometimes, simple works, Edward. One can always hope."

"Alright," I said. "Jacob, you call Walker. I'll call Caden. Let's set the meeting for later tonight. We want to have everybody as prepared as they can be for this visit."

Jacob leaned in for a kiss as he took his phone out of his pocket. "Absolutely. Tell them six?"

I nodded. "Six is good. Why don't we meet down where Walker's and Calahan's packs are so they don't have to move two hundred wolves? We can go to them."

"Sure."

Getting out my own phone, a wave of optimism came over me as we started putting the plan in motion. Hopefully, it wouldn't fail me.

"Hey, Caden," I said when the line was picked up. "Good news."

**Later that night...**

**JPOV**

"Hey, Jake?"

Turning around on the large stump, I saw Embry with his hands in his pockets. Tricia was rubbing his arm.

"What's up, Embry?" I asked as I jumped down. We were just waiting on Walker to show up.

As I waited for an answer, Embry wouldn't meet my eyes. Instead, he cleared his throat multiple times and dug the toe of his boot into the ground.

Tricia tugged on his arm. "It's ok, Embry. Just ask him."

"Ask me. Whatever you need, it's yours."

Closing his eyes, he blew out a breath forcefully. "Ok, uh. I need to make an announcement to our pack before the meeting starts. Or after, if you prefer. Since most of ours is here except for those few on patrol, I figured it would be best."

Wondering about what announcement he could have, my eyebrows rose as I looked at Tricia. No ring. "Announcement?"

Embry laughed and Tricia smiled.

He shook his head. "Nothing like that. Not yet. Although her mother is hot on my ass."

"Ah, future mother-in-law issues. Gotta love 'em. But hey, do what you have to. I don't mind."

"Thanks, man."

We bumped fists just as Walker came up.

"Sorry. Haleigh didn't want to leave. Had to bribe her with chocolate."

We laughed.

I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "They key to a woman's heart. Remember that."

"Oh, I will." He clapped his hands together. "So, what's up?"

"Uh, before we get to the meeting, Embry has something he needs to say to the pack."

"Sounds good."

I motioned Embry to the large stump. He took a deep breath before kissing Tricia and stepping up onto it.

"Hey, guys," he started as Walker, Tricia, and I walked around the stump to stand with the other wolves. Nessie's fingers laced with mine. "Ah, before Jacob tells us what he needs to, I have something that I need to tell my pack." He turned so that he was facing them more, but not completely excluding the others. "Uh, I was going to do this before Thanksgiving but Seth's healing was more important. But, uh, yeah. So, after I phased and since my mom was Makah, you all wondered who my dad was. It was gossip on the rez."

Now my pack shifted uncomfortably behind me. Was he really about to tell us who his dad was? The runners up were my dad, Sam's dad, Quil's dad, or Seth's. I swallowed hard as Nessie squeezed my hand.

"Before my mom took off back up north, she decided to tell me as a final blow for me not going with her." Looking panicked, he swallowed hard. "So, I guess I'll just say it like this. If my mom and dad had married, my last name would be," he met Sam's eyes, "Uley."

My body went slack as all the tension left me. Emily gasped while Sam just gaped with Leila in his arms. A moment later, he handed his daughter to Emily before going to stand in front of the stump. Embry jumped down, never breaking eye contact. They just stared at each other for a long moment before Sam pulled Embry into a tight embrace.

We all relaxed. For a moment, none of us had known how Sam would react to being told he had a half-brother. Of course, it was known that Sam didn't like his dad, that man was a player. So it really wasn't a surprise that Embry's dad was Sam's.

Behind me, a baby squealed happily. Ness and I laughed when we saw it was Brayden in Seth's arms.

"You tell 'em, little man," I said as I started clapping.

Sam grinned and hung an arm over Embry's shoulders. "I always did think you looked like me."

Laughing, the walked over to their women. Emily clutched Embry with her one free arm. Sam hugged Tricia.

"Floor's all yours, Jake," Embry said to me.

I chuckled as I hopped up on the stump. "Alright guys! That was some great news! Now, Ness and I have some more news and even though it won't sound like it, it is good." The crowd calmed down and was once again silent, eyes on me. "I want all of you to be prepared for what's going to be happening soon. Nessie spoke with the leader of the Volturi." A few hisses whispered through the crowd. "But when he comes, he will no doubt be bringing our enemies, placing them right into our hands. Jane." My wolves growled at her name. "Tristan." All three packs let out growls. "Caius." Now, they snarled. "All three delivered to us. But what I'm asking each every one of you to do is to think on a situation in which we won't have to go to war. That needs to be avoided at all costs. If war does happen, innocent people will die. So I want us all, myself included, to think of a way to get Aro to hand over our enemies, one of them his own brother. A way for us to mete out our own justice. Any and all ideas are welcome."

"When will they come?" Calahan asked, his hands gripping his son's shoulders.

I nodded to him, but before I could answer, Alice stepped up beside me, placing her hand on my shoulder. She had the answer. Aro had made his decision.

"They will arrive in two weeks time. The week before Christmas."

A murmur swept through the crowd.

"Guys, I know that's rough. We all celebrate the holiday in our own way. I understand, and I don't like it either. But, I was told that we would win whatever type of fight does break out. A friend of mine and my wife has visions, too. Somehow, one of us comes up with a plan that will avoid war and just a small fight happens. I trust her visions. So please, as I said, any and all ideas are welcome." I looked to Caden and Walker questioningly. "You guys have anything to add?"

They both shook their heads.

I turned back to the crowd. "Okay, that concludes the meeting. Thank you." I looked to Calahan. "All of you. We really appreciate your support in this. It means a lot. Maybe I'll even find a way to repay you."

He nodded to me, a small smile playing over his lips. "You are a good man, Jacob Black. You've allowed us into your home, offered us a safe haven. That is payment enough."

Emma leaned into her mate's side and nodded. "I agree. Now our son can play in safety. As can all the children."

I smiled in return. "That might be true, but I won't rest easy until this is over. With any luck, we'll all make it through, and then we can talk about territories."

He held out his hand to me. "I look forward to it," he said as we shook hands. "We thank you, and the Cullens, for all your help. We will stand by you."

"Thank you."

As the wolves dispersed, one of Calahan's females came up. "Hey, Calahan, Em, some of the kids want to go into town. Mind if I take them?"

He thought about it before nodding. "Take Raul with you. Jacob, I would like you to meet one of Emma's nurses, Marcia. With us, the nurse is basically the babysitter, and does whatever the Alpha female needs."

Marcia was tall, dark headed, and curvy. Barely twenty, if that. And I definitely didn't like the way she smiled at me.

But I shook her hand anyway. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, no. The pleasure's allllll mine," she purred.

"Marcia," Calahan said sharply as I took my hand from her grip. "Take Garrett and the rest of the children, and go."

At the crack of his voice, she lost her oomph. But gained a little back as she turned away, a little smirk on her face where Calahan couldn't see it, before she took Garrett and joined the other kids.

"I apologize for her," Calahan said as I turned to see where Nessie was. She was chatting with Christa. Thank god she hadn't seen that. "We've told her that this pack is not like our kind of wolf, that you are already mated to one and only one woman. In our world, many pack leaders take more than one mate to have several offspring. If she approaches you again in such a manner, she will be punished."

I turned back to him. "Uh, no. That's ok. I think I can handle her." I smiled. "So I take it you're a one woman man?"

"Yes. I grew up human. A lot of pack leaders were born wolves."

"And I wouldn't tolerate another woman in his bed," Emma said sweetly, trailing her nails over his neck. "I'd kill the bitch."

Calahan and I both chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

Nessie's voice wrapped around me just as her hands slid around my waist. She came around to tuck herself under my arm.

"Nothing," I said, still chuckling as I kissed her temple. "Just that I think you and Emma should spend some time together."

"Oh, indeed," Emma said with a smile. "I'd really like to hear how you beat Jane and Tristan, dear. That seems like a wonderfully bloody tale."

Nessie shrugged. "It kind of was. A couple groin shots, a busted nose. Jane was pissed she couldn't get past my mental wall."

"Ooo, I wonder if those can be taught."

Ness shrugged again. "I don't really know. My grandfather says meditation and yoga might help. I've never tried it."

Emma's expression turned thoughtful. "Hmm, we women should start a club of some sort. I would love to set down some roots here, especially since we're here. Calahan and Garrett like it here, so if you and Jacob will allow us to stay, we would love to."

My wife's excitement increased. "That sounds fun! I would love to do that. The boys should have a day to themselves and the girls should, too."

Calahan and I shared a look and an eye roll.

"Ok, ladies. First we must survive the coming battle."

"Exactly," I agreed. "Are your wolves still on for patrol tonight?"

Calahan nodded. "They're ready for their run."

"Good deal. Now, I think it's time to go home and eat."

"Isn't that the truth," Calahan agreed.

It was the women's turn to share a look.

"I don't know about yours," Emma said, "but mine could eat us out of house and home. My son, too."

Nessie laughed. "We don't have kids yet, but Jacob could definitely eat a hole through the fridge."

I shook my head. "It's the high metabolisms, woman. But I want some tacos."

"Ooo, tacos," Calahan said. "I miss tacos."

Ness and I laughed while Emma scolded him.

"You're more than welcome to join us," Ness offered.

Emma shook her head. "Oh, no, we couldn't-"

Reaching forward, Ness took her hand. "Oh, yes, you can. You didn't come to Thanksgiving, and your mate wants tacos. Tacos are a specialty of mine."

Calahan and I followed as Nessie dragged Emma back toward the house.

"Besides, if we're going to be friends, you better get used to me cooking for you. I like cooking."

"And thank god for that," I muttered to Calahan. "I hate cooking."

Calahan nodded in agreement. He leaned over to me. "I think we just made a mistake putting those two together."

"I think you're right," I said, staring after them.

We both shook our heads in unison as they trudged on ahead of us.

It was nice to know I wasn't alone in this boat.

* * *

**So, who likes Emma? (ME!) And who got the "uh-ohs" from Marcia? Teeheehee! Next chapter is gonna be a good one. Please review! I love to know what you have to say! Love you! xoxoxoxoxo**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22! You know, I don't know why I start the note off like that. It's not like you guys can't read or count. But anyway, I kind of really love this chapter. Some serious crap, so lemon, some fluffy goodness. And with our favorite couple. I'm getting back into the groove of focusing on Nessie and Jacob. And don't worry. Our favorite couple won't disappear in the kids' stories. In fact, they'll be in them a lot, so yay! Anywhozzle, on with the show.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**RPOV**

I was just finishing up the dishes from dinner, Emma and Calahan having just left when the front door opened. Cricket was leaning on Trey heavily. Dropping the plate I'd been scrubbing, I dried my hands and rushed to clear off the couch.

"Thanks," Trey said as he helped Cricket down.

She took in a deep breath and let it out.

Reaching up, I brushed her hair out of her face. "Hey, no more forced visions, okay? You scared me."

Smiling weakly, she pushed herself up against the cushions. "Thanks. I can't make any promises, but I'll try."

I smiled. "Need anything to eat?"

Her skin practically turned green. "Uh, no. I have eaten way too much today. After a forced vision, I usually gorge myself. Thanks, though." She swallowed hard. "Sleep, though. Sleep sounds great."

"Wait. If you still feel this bad, why did Carlisle let you leave?"

They exchanged a look.

Trey shrugged. "She wanted to leave. So we left."

"AMA?" I demanded

Cricket smiled. "Always gotta go out with a flourish. I don't like doctors anyway." Tired, she held her hand out to Trey. "Let's go to bed."

Gently, he pulled her up and draped that arm over his shoulders.

"Do you need help?" I asked, reaching for her other arm.

Trey jerked her away from my grasp. "No. I've got her."

"Ok," I said, surprised. "Uh, just yell if you need anything."

"Thanks."

I felt Jacob come up behind me as they slowly made their way up the stairs. He wrapped his arm around my waist. "Everything ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I just think he's been taking care of her too long. He won't let anyone help him."

"That's just how men are, baby."

"I just wanted to help him."

"And we are. We let them stay here. If we didn't, he'd be dragging her into a cold treehouse, or worse, right now." He squeezed my shoulders. "Just let it go."

"Ness?"

I moved for the stairs to look up at Cricket who had paused at the top. "Yeah?"

"You're the one who knows how to avoid war."

I frowned, but before I could ask her what she meant, Trey moved her toward the bedroom. Jake came up behind me again where I stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs.

"What is it?"

I shook my head. "She told me that I'm the one who knows how to avoid war. The thing is, I don't know what she's talking about."

Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me back. "Look, don't think about it. She knows what she's talking about. If she says you have the golden idea, then I believe her. It'll come to you."

"I have to finish the dishes," I said, trying to shrug away from him. It just bothered me that I was supposed to know, and didn't actually know.

Jacob gripped my shoulders and forced me to face him. Taking the wash rag from me, he said, "You can finish them tomorrow. It's been a long, weird day. Let's just go to bed."

"But-"

"No buts. You need to sleep, so take something to help you sleep."

"What?"

He motioned toward the cabinets. "Take a pill and get some sleep. Don't make me make it an order."

I glared at him. "You'd really order me to take a pill?"

Gently, he cupped my face in his hands. "Ness, it's what's best for you right now. Now that Cricket told you that, you're going to be up all night stewing over it unless you have something to knock you out. And I refuse to hit you. So, if your choices are a pill or insomnia, damn right I'm going to order you to take a pill."

After a moment, I smiled and then laughed. "Damn you. I hate it when you're right."

He watched me as I grabbed a Nyquil gelcap and swallowed it down with some water. Afterward, he kissed me, checking with his tongue that I had swallowed it.

"Good girl," he whispered against my lips. "Now let's get you into bed."

"Hmmm," I murmured. "An encore of this morning?"

"Nope. I'm going to hold you until you go to sleep on my chest."

Pulling back, I frowned at him suspiciously. "Are you feeling ok? Passing up sex?"

He chuckled. "The health of my wife is more important. I can ravish you after you get a good night's sleep."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that."

"Well, tomorrow you're going to have the house to yourself, to stay here and rest all day."

I pulled back. "What?"

"I want you to rest and relax."

He started pulling me toward the stairs that led down to our bedroom. I followed. "But Jake, that's what we did all last week."

He laughed as we got to the bottom of the stairs. "I mean without me. I'm gonna go down to the shop to help Frank out. He's behind what with all the wrecks from the ice and snow. Which, by the way, we're supposed to get more of sometime soon. Anyway, I want you to have some time to yourself. I've been taking up a lot of it. I made a promise to your dad that I'd give you some space to hang out with him or your mom, or anybody that you want to."

My heart softened toward him. As he started to strip me down methodically, I put a hand to his cheek to get him to look at me. "Jake, Dad understands that you are my life. That you're the one I want to spend all my time with."

Sighing, he stripped me down all the way, took my hands in his, and then backed up until he flopped down onto the bed. Stroking my knuckles, he said, "I want to spend all my time with you, too. But that's the problem. We have friends, Ness. Hearing you and Emma talk about having a girls' thing just made me remember all the time I'd spent with Seth, Embry, and Quil all those years ago. We were super close. I just miss the boys, ya know? We need a night to mess around, eat, watch football, and be obnoxious. And you women can...do whatever you do when you get together." I laughed. He smiled. "I just want us to get some space from each other so that we don't lose that passion, that fire. 'Cause let me tell ya, every time I come home to you, not_ with_ you, I just like to watch you, especially when you don't know I'm there. I like to remember why I'm thankful to come home, to know that I have someone waiting for me. That I have _you_ waiting for me."

Reaching up, he brushed my hair away from my forehead and then cupped my cheek. I leaned into the touch.

"I understand, Jake."

"And, I'm thinking that, after all this is over, I'll start working full time at the shop. Frank offered to make me his head mechanic. We can try out the normal couple thing. A normal nine to five for me, and you a housewife, taking care of the kidlets. What do you think?"

"The whole pack of kidlets?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Eh," he said nonchalantly. "You can handle 'em."

Leaning into him, I rested my elbows on his shoulders, my breasts rubbing against his bare chest. His hands rested on my bare hips.

"Then I think I could handle a slice of normal. If taking that job is what you want, then I say go for it. It's what you would have wanted if you'd never phased, right?"

He thought about it. "Yeah, I guess you're right. If I'd never met Bella and my life hadn't gone weird, yeah, I'd have wanted to be a mechanic."

I played my fingers through his hair. "Then do it. It's what you want. We'll survive whatever happens in two weeks. After that, if everything goes right, we'll be left alone. Somehow, I'll figure out what I'm supposed to know. We'll have the ability to act normal, to_ be_ normal. There won't be anything left to fight. No plans to fret over, no worrying about what will happen next. I'll make sure, somehow, that we're off limits to them after this. I'm done with them, with all of their shit."

Opening his knees, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. "And then we can finally work at starting that family. We won't leave the bed until you get pregnant."

Laughing as he waggled his eyebrows and kissed my chest, I said, "We'd have to take breaks for the test, Jake."

He shrugged. "Once a week. Other than that, we'll just be animals."

"You are incorrigible."

"Yeah, and?" he asked as I yawned.

He moved so fast that one moment I was standing, leaning against him. The next, I was on my back in bed with his heavy warmth on top of me.

"And," I said, yawning again. "That's a lot of damn sex."

For some reason, probably the medicine working through my system, the bed felt so good. Warm and enveloping, like a cloud. Nice and soft. Reaching up, I gripped the pillow and stretched languidly under Jake. He was hard hidden under his jeans, but didn't make a move toward me. Instead, he moved off me, tucking the sheet around me and went into the bathroom.

I must have zoned out between then and when he came back because when I floated back up for just a moment, he was wrapped around me, without his jeans, and a calm body. He was still awake. I knew that because he wasn't snoring in my ear and his hands were roaming over my body soothingly.

"Go back to sleep, Ness. You're safe. I'm here. Just sleep."

Too tired to fight, I sank back down into the fuzzy darkness.

**TriciaPOV**

My body was sprawled out on top of Embry's. I hadn't had a say in the matter. I'd sort of collapsed here, breathing hard, body soaked in sweat. Not one bone could I manage to move even if the house was on fire.

We were supposed to be heading up to Mom and Dad's house to pack up my things, but Embry had pulled me back into bed as I'd been trying to get out. Things had gone to hot and heavy from there.

"You jerk," I panted out.

He chuckled under me, the sound vibrating up into my ear, making me shiver.

"You know you wanted it."

"Maybe, but we have stuff to do besides lounge in bed all day."

"True," he said wrapping his arms around me. "But I like this better."

I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh. I'm sure you do." But then I got serious. "Hey, you know that I have questions about last night, right?"

He brushed my hair behind my ears and breathed in hard. "Yeah, I know."

"I know you've been keeping me on the outskirts of the drama, but I wanna know. If you're in danger or the pack is, I _deserve_ to know. You and Walker both are a part of this."

He sighed. "A lot has been going on. Tristan and his pack were recruited based upon lies about us from Jane. She's a powerful member of the Volturi in that she has a mental-based power. She can cause pain just by looking at you. But it seems that Tristan has taken the lies, and brainwashed, he's gone off the deep end and wants Jacob's head on a platter. Yesterday, Nessie called Aro, the leader of the Volturi and told him that she knows for sure there are traitors in his midst. You see, he thinks Jane is his creature. She's not. Based on her actions, her loyalty leans more toward Caius. Caius has been the one actually going after the werewolves in Europe, not the Cullens as Tristan was led to believe. Jane is somehow hiding Tristan and the Denalis under Aro's nose, so Nessie is trying to draw them out, trying to get him to look for them. Aro can read every thought you've ever had just by touching you, and you can't stop it. So when he gets here, he'll see the truth in Nessie's memories. Hopefully he'll hand everyone over to us on a silver platter." He shrugged under me. "And that's about it, as far as I know."

"So Emma and Calahan?"

"Oh, Caden knew them from his time overseas. They don't like Tristan or Caius any more than we do. So they came to support us with the promise of land and safety."

All I could do was blink and try to process everything. "Oh, well, thank you for telling me."

Leaning up, he kissed my forehead. "All you have to do is ask."

A knock sounded off distantly in the house.

In horror, I quickly rolled off of Embry and reached for his shirt. "Shit! That's Walker and Christa."

Embry rolled over onto his side and frowned up at me. "You invited them over?"

I gave him a look as I slid into my jeans. "I invited them to come with so that Walker could grab some of his crap and we'd have the truck to drive it all down in." Leaning down, I kissed him. "Mom and Dad are both at work right now. It's the perfect time. There won't be any 'Embry, have you asked my daughter to marry you yet?'"

Chuckling again, he rolled out of bed and slid into some sweats as another knock sounded.

"Coming!" I called.

I buttoned the shirt up as I made my way through the cold house. Embry went for the living room and the fireplace.

Opening the door, Walker almost punched me as he raised his fist to knock again. I flinched a little.

"Sorry," he said before taking in my appearance with a smirk. "Rough morning?"

Rolling my eyes, I went to go get my shoes. "We're coming, we're coming."

He chuckled. "Looks like you both already have."

"Oh, shut up. Where's Christa?"

"They're both in the truck. It's cold out there so I wanted to leave it running. Leather seats suck when they're cold."

"Amen to that," Embry said.

They bumped fists and started talking about trucks. I rolled my eyes again as I hopped into my shoes, slid into my jacket, and grabbed a shirt for Embry. He pulled it over his head as we all made our way to the truck. I locked the door behind us.

"Hi, Aunt Tricia," Haleigh said as soon as I slid into the backseat with Embry.

"Hey, sweetie. You ready to help me pack?"

She nodded.

"Good, 'cause I'll need some help."

Her grin was radiant. She was one perky kid in the morning. Ugh. I hated mornings. But I smiled anyway. Her good mood was just too infectious.

"You got the boxes?" I asked Walker.

He nodded from the driver's seat. "In the back."

"Cool."

Climbing out of Christa's lap, Haleigh crawled into the back to plop down in my lap. Both dolls were clutched in her arms as she snuggled against my shoulder. Grinning, I wrapped my arms around her. Walker's eyes met mine in the rearview mirror and I knew he was smiling.

"So, Embry," Christa asked now free to turn in her seat. "How are things with Sam?"

He grinned. "Pretty awesome. I mean, we've known each other for a long time, but it's different now that we know we're more than pack brothers. He's told me everything he remembers about our dad, which isn't much, and we both know we don't like the guy. It's a different mentality know between us. It's kind of amazing."

She smiled back at him. "Well, you deserve a good family, especially since your mom just left you here. That was terrible."

He shrugged and wrapped his arm around me. "I think I got the great end of the deal though. I have a home that she left me with, a beautiful woman to share it with, and a completely old but new family. I should send her a card and flowers as a thank you. And then demand the house key back."

We all laughed. It was hard to believe that we were all related, maybe not by blood, but my marriage and love. Walker was my brother by adoption. Christa was my sister-in-law. And Haleigh was my niece by adoption. And Embry? He and Walker were brothers-in-law. Right here, in the cab of this truck, was a small family in its own right, laughing and caring for each other.

Again, I caught myself thinking how intricate fate's threads were woven.

**RPOV**

Stretching out across the bed, I felt for Jacob and came up empty before remembering that he'd said he was going down to the shop today. He must have gotten up early and gone out. Rolling over to his side of the bed, I found that he'd built up the fire before he'd left, which was why I was cozy warm. It was amazing how much I loved that man, and how much my love continued to grow for him.

Since his side was closer to the closet, I rolled out on that side to find a note on the bedside table. It was Jacob telling me to enjoy the house, that Cricket and Trey had gone down to the big house to meet up with Alice to go Christmas shopping.

After reading it, I went into the closet to throw on one of his button downs and slid into a pair of my own sweats. I decided that he was right and I should enjoy the day. Even with the upcoming showdown, I didn't feel stressed or tense like I had the past couple years. Now, I was just ready for it to be over and excited that it soon would be no matter the outcome.

To take my mind off everything, I went upstairs to the third floor where the extra bedrooms were to go down the hall to the small door in the wall. It led to a furnished attic, so technically there were four floors to the cabin. All the Christmas stuff that I had bought with Aunt Alice was stuffed in here, and I decided to use the day to decorate the house. Out with the pumpkin spice scents and in with the peppermint and pine.

The autumnal colors were packed away while I laid out the red, green, and golds. Even though I hated yellow gold, it just wouldn't be Christmas without at least gold decorations. But I also managed to mix in some silver. Most of the afternoon after lunch was spent making the wreath for the front door. Not as easy as the craft store made it look, but I managed. On my way out to hang it up, I grabbed the holiday doormat so that I could put it in the place of our normal one that said, "Wipe Your Paws" with paw prints all over it. I couldn't help myself with that one.

Once the wreath was hung and the at laid out, I stood out on the porch in the chilly air. Lifting my nose to the wind, I could almost smell the snow that was headed for us. Tomorrow was my hunting day, and I was glad for it. Kind of craving the thick, red liquid. My mouth watered just thinking about it.

Out of the corner of my eye, Sadie trotted into view and sat at the bottom step of the porch.

"Hey, Sade. Everything ok?"

She nodded her massive head and huffed.

I laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. Hey, uh, I was going to head down to the shop to ask Jake if he wanted to go tree shopping. That's the last decoration we need. Would you mind?"

That massive head shook back and forth.

"Cool. Thanks. Let me get my stuff."

I dashed back in to get my sneakers and coat. By the time I made it back out, four wolves were sitting at the steps.

I smiled at them. "Thanks, guys."

With my entourage around me, I felt pretty safe as we headed off to see our pack leader.

**JPOV**

Rounding the counter, I wiped off my hands and logged onto the computer.

"Okay, so tell me what was going on with it before it completely died. Try to remember everything," I said to the man in front of me. He owned one of the diners on the rez.

As he talked, I typed everything he said. I'd just had to go tow his truck down here from Forks.

"Alright," I said when he finished. "I think I know what might be wrong with it. I'll try to get it in today, but I can't make any promises."

"I really need it for the weekend."

"I understand that. But we're short staffed right now. I can promise you that if I don't have it done before the weekend that I will pay for the rental, however long you need it. Is that alright?"

He smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"It's the least I could do."

"You're a good man, Jacob Black."

"Thank you. I do what I can."

"You'd make a great chief."

At that, I had nothing to say so I just smiled and nodded. The bell over the door jingled as he handed me the key to the truck and left, the bell jingling again.

"Be with you in a sec," I said as I tagged the key and finished up on the computer. Then I turned back to the person at the counter. "Alright, how can I-"

Marcia was standing there, leaning on the counter. Her low cut shirt showed all the assets she was trying to sell to me.

"Hi, Marcia," I said, trying to be nice even though I knew what she was here for and it wasn't to fix the car she didn't have. "Did you need something?"

"Just stopping by to say hi. Someone told me you were here alone so I thought you could use some company."

Yeah, right. "Actually, I'm kind of busy. The shop is behind."

"Oh, well I could talk to you while you work."

"Really, Marcia, it's ok. I think I'll be alright."

I was really not wanting to be rude, but she was trying my patience. She knew I was married and mated. Calahan had told her. He'd also told her not to approach me again. Looks like she didn't take orders well.

"But nobody should work alone." She grabbed my arm as I turned away from the counter.

There went the rest of my patience.

Growling, I ripped my arm away from her. "Marcia, I am a very happily married man. You need to stay away from me. My answer is no."

She pouted and came around the counter. "But a lot of pack leaders have multiple females."

"This one doesn't," I growled down at her as she came to stand in front of me. "I am in love with Nessie and nobody will ever change that."

"But she doesn't have this body."

My growl turned to a snarl. "She is everything I need. Her body is beyond perfect and I am beyond done with this topic. You need to leave."

She didn't like being dismissed. That fake smile left her anger bubbling on the surface. Apparently, she wasn't used to men saying no. Clearly she'd never gone after Calahan. He'd have shot her down, too.

Before I could stop it, she reached up to push our faces together, her lips on mine. I grimaced and gripped her arms, trying to pry her off me.

The bell above the door jingled.

"What. The. Hell."

Aw, shit.

**RPOV**

Oh. Hell. No.

The wolf who had hit on Jake last night was all over him, her lips included. Fury washed through me, setting my blood on fire. Jacob was mine. Every part of him belonged to me. No other woman was allowed to have him.

Red colored over my vision.

"What the_ hell_ is going on?" I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

Jacob took advantage of her surprise and pushed her off of him, scowling as he swiped a hand over his mouth. She stumbled back.

"Ness, I didn't-"

I held up a hand. "I know it wasn't you," I said glaring at the woman, at Marcia.

A smug smirk twisted her lips. "He does taste as good as he looks."

Growling, I stepped toward her. "You little-"

"Uh, uh, uh, no name calling."

"That's the least of your worries," I snarled. "He said no. Where I'm from that means no, not 'come at me harder and I might give in'."

She wasn't fazed in the least. With one hand on her hip, she examined the nails of the other. One shoulder shrugged up. "He would have begged for it eventually."

I got all up in her personal space, backing her into the wall. "You stupid little slut," I spat in her surprised face. "I know Calahan told you _my husband_ was off limits. So I know that you know that here, Jacob is a one woman type of man. And _I_ am his _only_ woman. So step off, bitch."

Without my seeing it, her hand came out of nowhere and landed hard across my cheek. My head snapped to the side, hair covering my face. I stumbled away from her and she moved away from the wall, no doubt trying to get room to fight.

"Ness!"

I held my hand up to him again.

And slowly, so slowly, growling, I turned back to her. The predator in me was unleashed, had been the moment I'd seen her all over my husband. But now? Now she was pissed.

The hair fell from my face and I knew my expression was cold, animal, the humanity folding away from me. Pulling my fist back, my arm snapped forward and connected her jaw. The blow knocked her off her feet and into the wall.

Stalking toward her, I crouched down and grabbed her hair. It was either lose her hair or stand up. She stood up.

"Stay away from Jacob."

Dragging her to the door, I threw her out by her hair. "Derek, Adam, see that she gets down to her pack safely. Tell them that if they have any questions, they can call me. No doubt she won't tell the truth."

Both men helped her to her feet, but without their usual warm smiles. Instead, they glared at her as she forced them to drag her away by struggling to get back to me.

Once they were gone, I went back inside to where Jacob was cleaning up the papers that had been tacked to the wall. He was quiet, avoiding looking at me.

"Jake, I know it wasn't you."

He straightened, some papers in his hands. "You heard her last night."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Ness. For not telling you."

Going to him, I took the papers out of his hands and set them on the counter. "Baby, it's okay. You thought she was leashed. I understand."

Finally he looked at me. His expression said he was waiting for me to get angry, and then was surprised that I didn't. He reached out to cup my cheek where she'd smacked me. "Are you ok?"

I winced a little but said, "I think I'm better off than she is." Raising my fist, I found that I'd split the skin over my middle knuckle. "Stings, but I'll be ok."

Chuckling a little, he said, "That was really hot, how you handled her."

I laughed. "I didn't mean for it to happen like that. But she really pissed me off. Putting her hands on you like that, her damn lips."

He grimaced. "Yeah, I can still taste her."

I growled. "We'll just have to fix that."

The look he got was one I knew well. It was his "I need you right fucking now" look.

"There's a couch back in the office, my office. And no cameras."

"Mmm, sex in a public place. That's one still on our list."

Smirking, he went to lock up the door and flashed the closed sign. Sadie and Blake took up their posts at the door as Jacob took my hand and led me down the hall to the back office that already had his name on the door. He locked us in and turned to me. I could already feel the heat in my eyes.

Jacob looked damned sexy in his white tank and grease smeared skin. He glanced at the couch.

"Screw the couch," he growled, picking me up by the waist and slamming my back against the wall. My legs wrapped around his waist.

This time wasn't slow. We were frenzied, teeth scraping teeth, knicking lips, tasting blood as he undid my pants and jerked them down around my thighs. Next, I heard the zipper of his right before he slammed into me. We both yelled as he invaded me.

Pinning me between his body and the wall, his freed hands reached up and pulled apart the shirt far enough down that his tongue could reach my breasts. Buttons went flying. With each thrust he growled, pounding me back into the wall. I had no leverage, and left him in charge.

Not wanting to set my nails into him where customers could see, I reached between us and lifted his tank to reveal his rock hard, undulating abs. Just watching them took me higher as they tensed and relaxed with each of his thrusts. And then he buried his face in my chest and my view was cut off, but not my roaming hands. This was going to be a fast and explosive orgasm, and I was getting really high, really fast.

"Jake," I whispered in his ear.

He growled against my skin.

One push higher. My nails sank into his skin.

His growl got deeper, louder.

And I exploded.

Screaming, I ripped my nails through his skin. That must have been his breaking point because he thrust up hard into me and froze, his body tense, jaw clenched as he jetted into me.

No multiples for him either. One orgasm was enough for both of us this time around. I held onto him as he sank against me. Stumbling backward, he took us to the couch with me sitting on top of him.

"I think she'll smell the sex on us. Don't you?"

He laughed, still inside me. The sensation made me shiver.

"God, that was intense."

"Yeah, it was. And pretty fricking amazing."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Absolutely not."

"Good."

"Where's the bathroom?"

He nodded toward the door. "Across the hall."

I stroked his chest and kissed him. His lips was bleeding, so I licked the blood off. "I'll go clean up. You get your strength back."

On wobbly legs, I managed to make it to the bathroom. Cleaning myself up, I saw blood, but not too much. We'd been rough this time and I was a week or so away from my period so it was expected.

Looking in the mirror, I realized the shirt was a lost cause. Jacob had ripped the buttons off down to my cleavage, a little further down than what I normally would show off, but right now, in the afterglow, I didn't give a shit. Instead, I just perked those girls right up, not that they needed it, and fluffed up my hair. My lips were red and puffy.

As I came out of the bathroom, I ran into Jake who was just getting off the phone.

"That was Calahan. He said he'd like to see us."

"Don't you need to stay here?"

He shook his head. "I'll just put the sign on 'be back in a couple hours'."

I shrugged into my jacket. "Okay."

Thirty minutes later, we walked hand in hand into Calahan's camp. As we headed for his tent, the wolves we passed seemed to shrink in on themselves. Of course, I knew what this was about. Marcia must have had one hell of a shiner. And no doubt Adam or Derek had told him what had happened.

We reached the tent. But before we went in, Calahan and Emma stepped out, both pissed off. Behind them, another wolf escorted Marcia out, keeping Adam and Derek away from her. She looked smug even with a bruise spreading over the lower half of her face.

"Your wolves have told us what happened, but we need the explanation from you," Calahan said. It was unclear whether he was pissed with us or with her. I hoped it was her.

Jacob went on to explain what happened. That he'd been at work when she'd come to "visit" him and approached him sexually. When he'd told her no and that she needed to leave, she'd force a kiss on him. And then I'd come in and done my bit. He also explained how remorseless she'd been and still obviously was.

In a rage, Calahan spun, his hand snapping out and backhanded her. "You disobeyed a direct order."

"You believe them?" she demanded incredulously, holding her cheek.

"I do. Not word he spoke was a lie. And you_ hit_ our hosting alpha female? How dare you be so careless! Do you have any idea what you could have caused? The danger you could have put us all in had Jacob and Nessie been a different alpha couple?"

"You disobeyed our orders," Emma snarled. Moving into her, Emma gripped her chin with sharp nails. "You stupid girl. Jacob and Nessie have been kind to us, giving us safety and a good home to bed down in, willing to fight for us and_ this_ is how you repay them?" Disgustedly, she threw the girl away from her. "Nessie is well within her rights to have you punished the way she sees fit, including death."

Marcia's eyes widened in fear, like it was finally sinking in how much trouble she was in.

"No," I said quickly. "No death."

Her wary eyes met mine.

"I've dealt out my own punishment. No more violence." Moving in front of her, I gave her a cold expression. "No death. Some people can't fight their natures. But let me tell you something, Marcia. Jacob is mine. Period. No means no, and you cannot have him. Are we clear?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded.

"Good. That goes for any other male in our pack. If they say no, you back off. But, maybe some are into having a third, and that's up to them. But if you cross that line again, I'll let Calahan and Emma have their way with you, whatever they decide. Nobody steals from someone else. Not here."

"I understand," she said softly. Her eyes met mine. "I'm sorry."

Turning around, I looked to Emma. "She's been punished enough on my and Jacob's behalf. She's your wolf and disobeyed your orders, so whatever punishment comes next is because of that."

They both exchanged a look and nodded.

"We apologize for her forward actions. If you wish, we wouldn't mind someone of your pack sitting down with her and others to explain your world. Many of these wolves haven't lived among humans in a very long time. Your pack has more human values than we're used to."

Jacob nodded, pulling me in against his body. "I'm sure we can arrange something."

" I just want to make one thing clear, if I may." When Calahan nodded, I continued, "Here, we don't rule on fear. We rule out of respect for each other. There's no reason to be nasty and mean. If you're kind to us, we'll be kind to you. Just remember that. We're not out to hurt you, any of you. If you need something, ask us. We won't beat you down for needing something from us. That goes for our entire pack."

Emma stepped up to me. "Nessie, I know you do not understand our ways, and we do not understand yours, but if Marcia had done this to another pack leader of our kind of wolf and his mate didn't share, Marcia would be dead. We do not view that type of action as some silly little game that high schoolers play. It is serious. If the pack leader declares his relationship to be monogamous, then no other female should _ever_ approach him sexually."

I just stared at her. "You're right. I don't understand."

"In the wild, living nomadically, the pack leader has to know he can completely rely on his alpha female. If she just stands by while another female makes moves on her mate, it's seen as she doesn't really care. That she's only alpha female in name. A true alpha female would never tolerate it. And usually if there are multiple females in the bed, it's because the alpha female wants it, not the pack leader." She smiled. "Though I'm sure he's eager to support his female."

We both laughed, which seemed wrong with Marcia looking so scared

Emma turned to look at her as well. "Pola, please escort Marcia to the healing tent. Make sure she is tended to." She gave Marcia a look. "We will have a feminine discussion later."

Marcia dropped her head. "Yes, Emma." Then she looked at me before moving off with a rather severe looking woman with grey hair.

"I think she finally understands the severity of what she's done," Emma muttered. "Although, if my nose in correct, she's close to her cycle." She traded and look with Calahan.

"Cycle?" I asked.

"She's going into heat," Calahan clarified. "Our kinds of wolves go through that. Not always, but when stress is high, like integrating with another pack, it can happen. Especially with all the new males around. She's already been with all the available males of our pack. It's only a matter of time before she's with Walker's wolves."

"Is that normal?" Jake asked.

Emma nodded. "Oh yes. Very. Sometimes, it's how females pick their mates. Marcia doesn't mind sharing, and some of the males in the lower ranks of the pack like to have multiple females."

Jake and I shared a look before shaking our heads.

"Your world sounds super complicated," Jacob said.

Calahan laughed, putting his arm around his mate. "It can be. It took a long time before I understood enough to start climbing ranks."

"Well, I don't envy that. Although, I suppose we need to start learning as well."

Calahan clapped a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "We'll be more than happy to help."

Jacob held out his hand. "Well, this has been...awesome, but I need to get back to work, or at least to close up the shop. I'm sure Ness came by for a reason."

He looked at me questioningly.

I nodded.

"Again," Calahan said, shaking Jake's hand, "we apologize for her behavior."

Twenty minutes later, we were back at the shop. Frank was there, and told Jake pointedly to have a nice day. When Jake argued, he practically shoved my husband out the door.

"So," he said wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "What should we do? Go home and finish our little...play time?"

I laughed against his chest. "As much as I would love that, we need to buy a tree. And you need a shower first. I mean, if you want to."

Leaning back, he looked at me. "A Christmas tree?"

I nodded. "I thought we could get a real one for our first Christmas. And I wanted us both to pick it out, as a family."

Grinning, hugged me tight and kissed my hair. "Absolutely. Sounds like a plan." Letting me go so we could continue walking, he said, "Let's go home to get me a shower and we'll go to the lot. We can stop at the Cullen place to pick up the other truck."

Swinging our laced hands, I said, "I love you, Mr. Black."

"I love you, too, Mrs. Black."

An hour later, we were parking next to the tree lot in Forks. With the daylight savings time, darkness swept in with the late afternoon hour and the lot was sparkling with Christmas lights. The weather was perfect as well. Cold and crisp. This was what made this time of year magical to me. Jacob and I were both dressed for the winter weather. I in my coat, knit hat, and gloves. Jacob in his beat up leather jacket.

I eyed the jacket as an idea formed. "Hey, Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"You ever think about getting a new jacket? That one's falling apart."

He looked down at it. "It is kind of beat to hell, isn't it?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's sentimental to me. Lot of memories. Plus it's already broken in. But I guess you're right. A nice one would be good for public consumption, especially if we're going to be going out a lot after our mess is over."

I smiled up at him. "Rugged and sexy. Sleek and sexy. I can handle both."

He laughed.

"Hi! Welcome to our family tree lot!"

We looked over to see a very familiar girl. It took me a moment to place her. But then I remembered that she's sat beside me in freshman English.

"Natasha, right?" I asked, just to be sure.

At first she frowned at me as if she were trying to place me. And then those eyes widened. "Nessie?"

"Yeah," I said with a laugh.

She reached forward to give me a little hug. "Oh my goodness. It's so good to see you. We all thought you'd run off."

"Oh, no. I just went home school. I got sick."

A sympathetic look she gave me. "Wow, that sucks. But you're better now?"

I nodded and wrapped an arm around Jacob's waist, smiling. "Much. Thank you for asking." I motioned to Jacob. "This is my husband, Jacob. Jacob, this is Natasha. We were English buddies in school."

"Married, huh?" she asked, shaking his hand.

I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah."

"Well, I must say you did a pretty fabulous job." And then she frowned. "Wait a second, is this the guy that picked you up all the time? The one you swore that nothing was happening with?"

Nodding, I grinned. "Yep. One and the same."

"Ooooo, girl! I always knew something was going on, or at least going to." She winked at Jacob. "I saw the way you looked at her."

He laughed. "If you were me, would you be able to help yourself? Look at her, she's gorgeous."

"That she is, my friend, that she is."

She joined in the laughter.

"Well, I hope you find what you're looking for. If you find a tree you like, come find me. I'll make sure you get a discount."

"You don't have to do-"

"Oh, shut up. Consider it payback for helping me through _Romeo & Juliet_. The only reason I passed was because of you. Dad won't mind anyway. He's too nice."

I bit my lip. "Well, okay. If you insist."

"I do insist. Now get shopping," she said, patting my arm before she walked away to help a new couple.

"She was sweet," Jacob said as he led me down the first aisle.

Smiling, I brushed my hands over the branches as we walked. "Yeah, she is."

Taking in a deep breath, I inhaled the pine scent, mixed with the crisp of the weather. Strands of Christmas lights made a roof overhead. It was perfect, except for the lack of snow, but that was well on its way. Many of the trees were smaller but busy. However, we had high ceilings in the cabin, and I wanted a taller, full tree.

"Help me find a tall one," I told Jacob.

"How tall?" he asked, eyes already roaming.

"One that you can still reach the top of. We're starting a tradition, dammit."

He laughed. "What kind of tradition?"

Walking up to him, I wrapped my arms around his waist under his jacket. "The one where you put the star on the tree every year while me and the kidlets decorate the rest."

His arms snaked around me. "Hmmm, I think I like it."

"Really?"

The wind had blown some hair into my face and he reached up to tuck the strands behind me ears. "Yeah, really. I always watched Billy put the star up when I was a kid. When he got sick and was put in the wheelchair, I would hold him up so he could do it."

"Well, then I think it should be passed down from father to son." I frowned. "But who's going to help him now?"

He chuckled and chucked me under the chin. "He stopped putting up the tree. Now he always goes up to Charlie's. If Sue had her way, he'd be living up there with them, but the old man is stubborn."

"Gee, sounds like someone else I know," I muttered.

In retaliation he pressed his thumbs over my hip bones, making me do that awkward jerk away movement that made me seem like I had a full body twitch.

Gripping his arms and laughing, I tried to move away from him. "Stop," I gritted out.

"What did you say?"

"You hear me," I said, pulling away from him.

He followed me, chasing after me playfully, as I turned down another aisle of trees. At this time, most people were still at work, so the lot wasn't busy. We pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Looking back over my shoulder, I didn't see Jacob so I slowed. He'd completely disappeared.

"Gotcha!"

I squealed as he lifted me off my feet from behind and swung me around. When he stopped, I gasped.

"What? Did I hurt you? Are you ok?"

"No," I distractedly. And then shook my head. "I mean, yeah, I'm ok. Jake, look. That tree. It's gorgeous."

He'd stopped swinging me just in front of easily the tallest, fullest, greenest tree in the lot. It was absolutely perfect, and I wanted it.

"That one?" another voice asked.

Jacob set me on my feet and we both turned to find an older gentleman. His nametag read "Gerald". Probably Natasha's dad. Sure enough, she walked up behind him.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, looking back at it.

"Well, nothin'," he said, pushing his glasses up his round nose. "It's just that we get one of those trees every year and they don't sell."

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "Because they're so big. Most folks around here don't have a house to fit around it."

I looked up at Jacob with my best puppy dog eyes.

He cleared his throat. "Well, we do. And my wife really wants to take it home."

I grinned up at him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"You two must live in the woods, like the Cullens. I know their house can fit a tree like that."

Jacob chuckled. "Her maiden name is Cullen."

Gerald's eyebrows rose. "Ahh, well that explains it."

"Explains what?"

"How beautiful your wife is, son."

Jacob rubbed his hand up and down my arm. "She is, sir. She really is," he agreed, looking down at me.

"Well," the man grinned, "she's all yours. Free of charge." At first I thought he was talking about me, but then I realized he'd been looking at the tree as he spoke.

"What?" I asked, sure I'd heard him wrong.

He walked over to the tree and caressed the branches gently. "Finally, one of these girls gets to go to a home, to be decorated and loved, forever remembered in pictures. That, to me, is worth more than your money. These trees are everything to us. We won't go out of business. Besides, I'll just say we didn't sell her. They'll send another next year."

"And if they continue to look like this one, we'll buy them every year," I said. "Are you sure you won't charge us?"

He shook his head, taking my hand in his. "Darlin', it's yours. That kind of love for a Christmas tree means you're a kind heart. Is this your first Christmas as a married couple?"

Jake and I both nodded.

"Then, consider it a wedding gift."

Jacob studied the man as if he'd done something interesting. "But you don't know when we got married."

The man shook his head. "Don't need to. It was sometime this year by your answer. That's all I need to know." He made a dramatic flourish. "Congratulations. Enjoy your gift." Turning away from us, he said over his shoulder, "I'll go get my son to help you get it to your car."

"Thank you," I called, and then looked up at Jake.

He nodded, pulling his wallet out. He handed Natasha a fifty. At first she refused.

"Take it. Buy him something awesome from us. Please. It's the least we can do."

She teared up as she took it. "He loves these trees. You know, he owns the lot where they're grown, so he picks what kind of trees comes here. Every year he picks one of those, hoping that somebody will take an interest. So thank you. It means a lot."

"It's just...so beautiful."

She nodded. "They really are."

A guy about a year or so older than us came to stand beside her.

"Oh, hey, Matt. Can you help them get their tree to their car?"

"Sure." He shook hands with Jacob before they both went for the tree.

It took some maneuvering, but they managed to get the tree packed away into the bed of the truck. I didn't know how, and I didn't ask. We both waved as we drove away. The scent of pine invaded the cab and it was heavenly. When we pulled up to the cabin, there were two cars parked to the side, but nobody was in them. One of them was Grampa's.

Going inside, we found Jacob's whole family, Grampa, and Sue.

"What is going on in my house?" Jacob asked as he shrugged out of his jacket.

Billy rolled up to us. "Well, son, I called Alice to see where you were and when she told me you were tree shopping for the cabin, I knew it was time to give you this."

Reaching under the blanket that covered his lap, he pulled out the most beautiful tree topper I had ever seen. It wasn't a traditional star, but it was definitely unique. It was white, in the shape of a diamond like the kind you'd find on a playing card but 3-D, and it had silhouettes of mountains and wolves. There was bulb inside and a cord that plugged into the rest of the lights.

Jacob just stared at it, swallowing hard. "But that's...I remember that. That's the topper we used when Mom was still…" He couldn't finish and I gripped his hand.

Billy nodded. "It is. And she'd want you to have it."

"But-" He looked up at his sisters. "You gave me Mom's ring for Nessie. I can't take this. One of them should."

"Jake," Rebecca said, Henry asleep in her arms. "Rach and I already took what we wanted of Mom's things. You should have this. It belongs with the head of household with the last name of Black. That's not us or our husbands. It's you, baby brother. I agree with Dad. Mom would have wanted you to have it."

Rachel stepped forward with a soft smile. "You and Nessie deserve this, a tradition that's been in the family before. Something to pass down to your kids. I don't know if you remember, but you always used to watch Dad in awe as he put the topper on, more so than the two of us. It's yours."

He swallowed hard again as he leaned forward to take it from Billy. He held it like he held me sometimes. Like it was the most fragile of glass.

"Thank you," he managed to choke out.

"But," Rachel said, punching him in the arm. "You can't put it on without us here. We wanna watch a tradition be reborn." She looked to me. "So call us when you're ready to put it on."

Swallowing through the lump in my throat, I said, "I will. I promise."

She grinned. "Good. Now let's get that tree inside. It's starting to freeze out there."

Paul, Tom, and Jacob went outside while me, Rachel, and Rebecca cleared a spot next to the fireplace. I ran to my box of Christmas stuff to get out the tree stand. Positioning it well away from the flames, I felt a pulse of excitement as the guys carried it into the house. Once they got it in the stand, I went to my belly on the floor and tightened the fastenings. Wriggling back out, I went to stand with the rest of them to stare at it.

"Man, you guys did good." Rebecca.

"Uh, that was all Ness. She fell in love with it." Jacob.

"So she imprinted on it." Rachel.

"Guys! I'm right here."

A flash brightened the room. I looked over at Rachel who was holding her phone up.

"What?" she asked. "It's another Black tradition. Take a picture of the tree before, and then after." She shrugged. "Just something Mom liked to do."

"Well, then, I will, too."

Jacob grinned down at me. "Thank you," he whispered into my hair.

Grinning, I rested my head on his chest and just looked at our first tree.

* * *

**D'awwww. Geez, these two kill me with their happily ever after crap. Why can't we get a little of that? Pfft. Anyway! Let me know what you think. Reviews or PMs are awesome! And would make awesome holiday gifts. *wink wink* Oh and since I may not post again before the holiday, Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy Whatever You Celebrate! Or if you don't celebrate anything, just have a damn good day! Love you! xoxoxoxoxo**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23! Woo-hoo! We are a-rollin'! Cannot wait to get to the kids' stories. Already mapping them out. One fan told me that I should do the pregnancy stories before their actually story. I think I agree. The pregnancy stories will probably only be nine chapters or less, or a one-shot. I haven't decided. If you guys have an opinion, let me know!**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**JPOV**

After she had asked me if it was ok, Ness invited all of them to stay over and help decorate the tree. It was great to have just my side of the family over, to spend time with just them. Watching Ness get along with my sisters and nephew just made me love her even more.

Billy made her sit on his lap allowing Rachel, Rebecca, Henry, and Tom to take up the couch while Paul and I tried to figure out the lights. Sue and Charlie were sitting on the loveseat. Eventually, we got the tree wrapped up with white twinkle lights, but not turned on yet per request, and then it was the girls' turn to do their part. I sat next to Billy's wheelchair on the floor and watched as the girls decided what color scheme to make the tree. Apparently, that was a thing.

They picked red, white, and silver. And then they went to work, picking up ornaments and ribbon. Nessie grinned the whole time, her face glowing with joy. That was the best gift she could give me. Picking up Henry, she helped him reach up to hang an ornament.

"There ya go," she said, stepping back to adjust him on her hip. Bending down she grabbed another one and a green hook. "Here, hang this one. Where do you want it?"

She moved around the tree until he pointed.

"There!"

"Alrighty," she said moving forward so he could hang it. "Good job, Henry. That looks lovely."

He beamed at her before planting a kiss on her cheek.

With the four women decorating, it didn't take long at all. The last thing to go on before the topper was my favorite decoration of all time: the tinsel. Ness danced around the tree throwing it here and there. And then she came to me, sprinkling some over my head before skipping away with a laugh.

Billy chuckled. "Instead of Jack Frost, I believe we have a Jake Frost."

"Thanks, dad," I said dryly as I picked it off and threw it on Henry who turned to glare at me through the strands.

Billy and I both laughed as he rubbed a hand over his head, not really getting it off. Quickly, I grabbed the camera off the side table and snapped a picture. He stuck his tongue out at me.

"Alright, Jake," Rebecca said, holding out the topper in front of me.

Licking my lips, I set the camera back on the table, cleared my throat, and stood up. Taking it from her, I went to stand beside Nessie, who smiled at me encouragingly. Swallowing hard, I reached up and positioned the topper the way I wanted it before plugging it in to the end of a strand of lights.

Bending over, I grabbed the tail end of the lights. "Alright. Here we go," I said before plugging them in.

Gasps filled the room.

"Oh, Jacob," Nessie breathed. She held her hands out to me and I went to her.

And turned around.

It was really something. I even choked up at what it meant for me and Ness. Our first tree ever as a couple, let alone a married couple was perfect and beautiful lit up like a beacon in our own house.

Nessie and I shared a smile and a kiss.

"Ahem."

We broke apart to see Rachel, barely hiding a grin, her arms behind her back as she wiggled back and forth.

"What, Rach?" I laughed.

"Uh, Becca and I chipped in to have something made for the two of you." Before I could ask, she held out her arm, something hanging from her fingertips. "Becca had one made for me. And I made one for her. So we, as twinkies, made one for you."

Reaching out to hold it still, I saw that it was another ornament. It was a custom made sheet of some kind of metal. I knew it was custom because the two people dancing around in wedding attire looked startlingly like me and Ness. Underneath was engraved, "Our First Christmas" and the year.

"We sent off a picture and they sent us this."

"Oh, wow," Ness said. "Becca, Rachel, it's beautiful. Thank you so much."

Taking it from her, I said, "Yeah, thank you. So much. It means a lot."

Together, Ness and I went to the tree and picked a spot for it, a spot where everybody could see it.

We stepped back to stand with everyone else, and Billy patted my back. "Your momma would love this so much. And she'd be very proud of her children."

Rebecca, Rachel, and I all shared a smile. Becca nuzzled Henry's cheek. Rachel rested her head on Paul's shoulder. Watching them, I really hoped they got pregnant soon. They deserved it. Nessie rested her head on my chest, hand stroking my stomach. I hoped we got pregnant, too. She deserved a family of her own.

After a while we all sat back, just chatting. Nessie, my sisters, and Sue decided to make dinner. Chicken parmesan. Tom, Paul, and Charlie took up the couch. I sat back on the floor between the couch and Billy's chair.

"So, Jacob," Billy started up. "How are things with the new wolves?"

Taking in a deep breath, I sighed it out. "Interesting. They have some very...strange ways of handling their pack. And very weird customs. If they're going to stay, Calahan offered to teach me and Ness, but honestly, kinda freaks me out. Caden taught us how to utilize our wolves, make them deadlier, but really, I don't think I could embrace the other packs' ways of life."

He clapped me on the back. "Jacob, I think, in the midst of all that's going on, you're forgetting something very important."

Frowning, I looked up at him.

"Our people are spiritual no matter how we advance with the times. You and the other Quileute wolves are proof of that. If the spirits had abandoned us, you would never have phased. And if they'd have left us now, the ability probably would left you when the spirits did."

"What do you mean?"

"You are the embodiment of Alphas past. Ephraim Black's spirit is always with you, guiding you." He looked up at Paul. "Your ancestors as well, Paul. All of you who have phased. You're not infected. I know it seems obvious, but you are not the same as those other wolves. Not diseased, not infected. You're spiritual. You are kings and queens of the woods, chosen to protect your homes." He pointed out away from us. "Those wolves? They are interlopers who have had to make their own rules, some barbaric because bad men made them. Females, to them, are seen as property. With you, they are revered and respected for their kindness. Their females and lower members are made to fear the dominants. What have I always told you? Respect earns respect. Jacob, you've done your best by your pack, given them your time, your shoulder to lean on, and they would follow you into hell itself to back you up."

"It's true," Paul said.

I looked over to him.

He shrugged. "Jacob, you've fought with us. Picked us up when we needed it. You've always been there for us, been kind to us. Even when we stood with Sam to go after Bella, you didn't want to fight us. We'd follow you anywhere, man."

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. "Jacob, son, never forget where you came from. The spirits deemed you fit to lead. You are a spiritual wolf, a man who knows himself, knows that his soul is worth something. Not some wolf that has to fight and kill for power. Your purpose it to protect your people, your family."

Looking back over my shoulder, I saw Ness do the same to give me a small nod and smile.

And I felt like my eyes were opened once more.

Billy was right. For weeks, I'd been feeling like I needed to be more vicious, more ruthless, more wild beast, than who I was to protect what was mine. But I'd lost me on the way. Not that I regretted what I'd done to Nikolai. I wasn't one to regret protecting my family. But I'd never run my pack on fear. Somehow, we'd all lost the spiritual sides of ourselves. Clearly. What had happened to the bonfires, the stories? Had we really grown up to become_ this_?

"Thanks, Dad."

He smiled down at me. "Not a problem, son."

Looking up at the tree, at the topper, I felt a rush of something flow through me. My blood pulsed hard in my veins and a new type of strength settled over me. How had I felt when I'd first phased? After I'd gotten over the anger? Optimistic. I'd felt like I could make a difference. I hadn't like the alpha part, knowing that I was skipping over it. But after leaving Sam and the others, knowing I was outnumbered, I'd been determined to take them on, either by talking or fighting, even though they were my pack members. I'd gone with what I believed in, that it wasn't right to kill Bella. Not just because I'd thought I was in love with her, but because the baby hadn't even been born yet. They didn't know what the baby would have been like, just slaughtered it out of fear of what it could have been. Turned out, she'd been my imprint.

I'd been firm in my beliefs and how things should have been run even though I hadn't had a plan. Just reactions from the gut. Nobody else telling me what I had to do.

And what I had been like before phasing? A happy kid. Optimistic. That optimism had returned when Nessie had come along even though I'd known the road wasn't going to be easy, especially when she started growing so fast. But I'd had the belief that it was going to work out. And here we were, married. Only recently had I started to be the playful me again. Being the sickly romantic guy for my woman. Teasing, tickling, and chasing her. That's how we'd been back before we'd gotten together, back before the other wolves had come into our lives.

Standing up, I went to wrap her in my arms from behind and rested my chin on her shoulder. "I understand," I whispered.

"What do you understand?"

"Your optimism. I recognized it, and that's why it troubled me. I used to be a chronic optimist, and I'd lost that. I'd lost my spirit somewhere along the way recently." As warmth flooded me, I smiled. "You're right. We'll get through this somehow. Cricket hasn't let us down yet."

Turning in my arms, she smiled. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I know."

Going up on her toes, she kissed me. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

Behind us, the front door opened.

"Oh, wow."

Cricket and Trey were in the doorway, staring at the tree. And then they saw my family.

"Oh, crap," Cricket said. "Sorry. We can leave."

"No," I said quickly. "Don't be stupid. Join us."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. The more, the merrier."

They both exchanged a look. Had I really been that selfish lately? Probably. Especially being married now. I'd wanted as much time with Ness as possible even though I'd told her earlier that we needed to spend time apart. But again that had been selfish, because I'd wanted the reminder of how important she was to me when I came home. It had been a selfish reason.

Nessie laughed. "Come on. We'll explain later."

While Cricket joined us, Trey looked vaguely uncomfortable around the guys, so I introduced him to them.

"Dad, Trey is pretty tech-savvy and book smart. Maybe he could help you out on your research of our family?"

"Really, now?" he asked looking at Trey.

The kid pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yes, sir. I had dreams of going to MIT."

"And why didn't you go?"

He fidgeted. "I met Cricket."

She looked over guiltily, but I winked at her. If that was what he really wanted, we'd find a way to get him there.

"So," Paul asked. "What got you into computers?"

Trey looked surprised and confused that people were taking an interest in him. "Uh," he stuttered. "Well, when I was little my mom had a computer, and I always tinkered on it. As technology progressed, I kept going. Reading and teaching myself. Alice bought me my new one, the best out there. Really, I couldn't thank her enough for it."

Paul leaned into him. "Good, can you help me find one for Rach? She really wants to start writing, and try to set up her own business."

Trey's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Sure. I'd love to."

"She wants her own business?" I asked, the first time hearing this.

Paul nodded. "She makes candles and stuff. She wants to open a shop, maybe get the other girls involved. She's very arts and craftsy."

Yet something else that I didn't know. Both of my sisters were here, were back on the rez and I hadn't made plans to spend any sibling time with them. Yet another kick in my ass.

"Dinner's ready," Ness called.

As one, all the guys got up from the couch and went for the table. Sitting down at the head of my table, I wanted to revisit Thanksgiving so that I could think that this was what I was thankful for. My sisters safely home. The danger almost over. And that we still had the older members of the family. Charlie, Sue, and my dad.

Clearing my throat, I held up my glass. The others followed.

"A toast, to our elders. Whom we're thankful for, and definitely know more than the rest of us."

"Our elders!"

Billy nodded at me from his spot beside Nessie.

Everything in this room was exactly how I'd always wanted my life to turn out. A beautiful wife. And my family home together.

**WalkerPOV**

"Are you serious?"

Calahan's chuckle was answer enough. He'd just told me what had happened with Ness, Jake, and one of his female wolves.

"Are any of my wolves likely to act like that?"

"It's doubtful. Marcia comes from a pack where the females were forced to bed any male that crooked his finger at them. Their leader felt that females were meant to be a man's plaything."

"Yeesh," I said, gagging. "I'm glad I don't plan on travelling, especially with the pack."

"Yes. We took her in and tried to explain, but apparently, she didn't understand. We've...dealt with the problem. But I called to inform you. I feel that if the three of us leaders are going to try to stay in one area that we should keep each other in the loop."

"Well, thank you for that. I'll be sure to let my second know. Thanks, Calahan."

We hung up, and I just stared at the phone.

"What was that about?" Christa asked, stepping outside behind me.

I turned and pulled her into my arms. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Snow had started spitting down, and the temperature had slowly been dropping.

"Some female wolf hit on Jacob and Nessie walked in on the forced kiss. Ness almost broke her face."

"Damn. I'm surprised she didn't do worse."

I shook my head. "It's Nessie. She's a kind soul. Probably just acted in the moment. But I bet she doesn't regret it."

The door opened behind her.

"Mommy? The pot is whistling."

Christa smiled up at me. "Gotta go."

"Okay,_ mommy_."

Smiling sheepishly, she kissed my neck before turning around. "Alright, sweetie. Let's get you some cocoa." She scooped up Haleigh into her arms, and I followed them into the house.

Christa and I had been in the attic all morning, sorting through all the holiday stuff. I was a dad this Christmas with a little girl who had never celebrated it before, at least not the way we had growing up. So I had the responsibility of making sure Haleigh's first Christmas with a family was just about perfect. After we'd gotten all the stuff down, I'd spent the afternoon hanging lights. Lucas and Morgan had come over earlier to visit. Lucas had helped me with the lights on the highest part of the roof, which wasn't too bad what with the house being a one-story. They'd left about an hour ago to start on their patrols.

"Almost done with the outside?" Christa asked she poured the boiling water into a mug.

"For the most part. I was going to line the fence, too."

"Do we have enough plugs for that?" she asked, frowning.

I nodded. "Yeah. I know how to light up a house. Dad and I spent many Christmases hanging lights."

She smiled up at me. "Good. Can't wait to see it. Haleigh? What are you doing, sweetie?"

Haleigh walked past me, into the kitchen with a frown. "Why doesn't the tree smell right?"

"Because it's not real. Remember we had to put it together?"

Setting her mug on the table carefully, she crawled into the chair. "But why can't we have a real one? I like the way they smell."

At first, I could tell Christa was about to tell her that we didn't need two trees. But then she saw the pout on our kid's face. She sighed. "I suppose I could get rid of that old thing. Doesn't bring back good memories. There's a tree lot in Forks. We could go up this weekend to get a real one. How does that sound?"

Haleigh grinned and clapped her hands. "Yay!"

We both laughed as she handed me a cup of cocoa.

Haleigh frowned again. "Why do people put trees in their houses though?"

Chuckling, I knelt down in front of her. "Because once we get it home, we can decorate it. That's where all the presents get put."

"Presents?"

I nodded. "We wrap them up so you can't see them. And on Christmas morning, after Santa Claus comes to deliver more, you get to open all of them!"

"Really?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Who's Santa Claus?"

My eyes bulged out. "You don't know who Santa is?"

She shook her head.

Taking out my phone, I pulled up the Web and looked for a picture. After finding one that wouldn't scare her, I turned it to her. Her eyes widened.

"He lives up in the North Pole with Mrs. Claus. And his toy shop. You see, all year long, he watches over all the kids on earth, seeing which kids are bad and which are good. If you've been good, you get presents. If you've been bad, you get a lump of coal."

She gasped, eyes wide.

"And Santa has these elves that help him build the toys. If you want, you can write Santa a letter, telling him what you want for Christmas. You may not get everything, but he'll read it."

After a moment, her excitement dimmed. "But, why haven't I gotten anything ever?"

Shit. That was a good question. Thinking fast, I said, "Because he couldn't see you. He couldn't find you. Your pack kept you so well hidden, you and the other kids, that he just couldn't find you. But this year, we'll make sure he does. With all the lights on the house, he'd be silly not to stop here on Christmas Eve."

I held my breath, praying she bought it.

She burst from the chair, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I love you, Daddy! You're the best!"

Behind me, Christa sniffled.

Hugging her back, I whispered, "I love you, too, baby girl." I pulled back to brush her hair back. "Come on, help me and mommy with the rest of the lights."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Thanks for volunteering me, husband," Christa said dryly with a smile.

That made me pause. Holy shit. I was a husband. With a beautiful wife. And a six year old little girl. I had a family of my own. So hard to believe that a year ago I was just a senior jock in high school. Now, I was an alpha werewolf with a wife and child.

Straightening, I took her into my arms, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Just want you with us, wife."

She crinkled her nose. "Sounds so weird. But I like it."

"You like it?" I repeated.

"Mhm."

She dipped her finger into the whipped cream melting in her hot cocoa and popped it onto my nose, giving me a falsely surprised look, no doubt matching my real one. Haleigh giggled into her own mug. Reaching around, I picked some whipped cream from her mug and popped it onto her nose. She gasped and then giggled while I did the same to Christa.

She laughed. "Okay fine." Reaching over to the counter, she grabbed her camera. "Come here, Haleigh."

She hopped down from the chair and I picked her up, holding her so she was facing the same way I was. Christa moved in beside me, her free arm going around my waist, her head on my shoulder. Stretching out her arm, she turned the camera to us.

"Smile."

We all smiled as the camera flashed.

One good picture.

Then we took a bunch of goofy pictures involving stupid faces and more whipped cream.

"Hello, Christmas cards," Christa said.

"Seriously?"

She nodded. "Absolutely. Your parents would love these."

"That's true."

She wet a paper towel, rubbing our faces clean. "Come on, let's get the lights finished before it gets too dark. I still have to cook dinner."

"And what might we be having, Mrs. Johnson?" I asked, helping her slip into her coat. And then I helped Haleigh into hers.

Christa wrapped herself into my side as Haleigh took my hand. "Oh, I was thinking one of my favorites. Loaded potato soup."

"Mmm, sounds delicious. I haven't had that in a long time."

"Well, it took me a long time to get it right. I think I finally did. But hey, that's my personal opinion."

Outside, the snow had picked up. Apparently, the ground had gotten cold enough for it to stick. According to my phone it was quickly nearing twenty five. But, to me, it only felt like fifty. Body heat of a wolf was an amazing thing.

"I'm sure it'll be great, baby."

Together, we separated out the lights. I gave Haleigh the task of plugging them in to see that all of them worked. When they did, Christa and I wrapped them around the fence that closed in the front yard, and around the mailbox.

Once they were all tied and stapled down, I picked Haleigh up. "You ready?"

She nodded excitedly.

Christa flipped the switch.

The house lit up and Haleigh's eyes widened in wonder. The moment was perfect with the snow still coming down, landing in her hair and eyelashes. Christa came to stand with us as we just listened to the silence of the snow.

"It's so pretty," Haleigh said.

"Yes, it is," Christa agreed. "Santa will for sure see this."

"When does he come?"

"December twenty-fourth, Christmas Eve. So you have about three weeks."

"Three weeks?"

"That's right."

Haleigh wriggled out of my arms and ran for the house. "I have to write my letter. He might forget me if I don't."

Christa and I chuckled as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. We watched Haleigh run into the house, leaving the door open behind her.

"I suppose we should get back inside so I can make dinner."

At that moment, my stomach affirmed her suspicions. "I think my stomach agrees."

On our way in, my phone chimed. Pulling it out, I saw a text from Jake.

_**Saturday. Bonfire on the rez. On the cliffs. All packs welcome.**_

"What's it say?" Christa asked as I frowned.

"Bonfire on Saturday. All packs welcome."

Christa got excited. "On the rez?"

"Yeah."

Whooping, she danced around. "Yes! He's starting them back up!"

Eyebrows in my hairline, I just watched her as she danced in the snow. "I take it you like those?"

Breathing hard she, she stopped and faced me. "Are you kidding? The rez bonfires are awesome. So much mingling and dancing and talking. And the food! So much fun. Haleigh will love it. We haven't had them in years."

Chuckling, I said, "Well, then I guess we're going."

"And don't worry about the cliffs. It'll just be in that general vicinity. Jake would never put the kids that close."

"Good. Now, let's go in before all the heat leaves the house."

I followed her inside, more than ready for her homemade soup.

**RPOV**

My husband was back. He'd even declared a bonfire on the rez. He said it was time to show the other packs about kindness and respect. The first step was inviting them to join the party, to mingle. Walker's and Calahan's packs had stayed separated from ours so far, and Jacob felt that that distance would never be bridged unless someone took the first step. He'd sent out a text to Walker and Calahan, plus all our wolves.

I was thoroughly excited. It had been years since one had been held, and it was beyond time to start them back up. Jake said it would be a celebration of new friends and allies. And it wasn't just going to be a one time thing. At first he'd said one every month, and then changed it to every other weekend. He was actually excited, too, instead of feeling like it was yet another obligation that he had to keep up with.

We were currently sitting on the floor. Jacob's back was against the couch. I was sitting between his legs, back to his chest. Everybody had gone home for the night. Trey and Cricket were up in their room, resting. Cricket still wasn't up to fully charged, but she could move around on her own.

His thumbs rubbed over my pajama-clad knees. "That tree is pretty spectacular," he said into my hair.

I nodded. "It is. And I love the star. Your mom had some pretty awesome taste."

"Yeah she did." He kissed my shoulder. "You want anymore cocoa?"

"Goodness, no. I'm stuffed. Sickeningly stuffed. I guess I haven't recuperated from Thanksgiving."

He chuckled. "You did eat more than you usually do."

"Ain't that the truth." When I had said sickeningly stuffed, I had meant it. I felt like I was about to toss my cookies. But it was probably just some digestion issues. I really had eaten more than usual, especially tasting and snacking.

I rested my head back against his chest. "This is so weird."

"What?"

"The waiting. The celebrating even when we know that the Volturi are coming, and we don't know how to avoid the war yet. I haven't had any brilliant ideas. And we're acting like nothing's wrong."

"Baby, I have every faith in you. If Cricket says you'll figure it out, then you will. Just don't try to force it. You'll give yourself migraines. Keep doing what you're doing. Decorating, cooking, making love to me." I laughed. "You'll have a thought that will lead you to another and then another, and before you know it-bam-there's the solution."

"You really think so?" I asked, rubbing my hands up his arms.

He kissed my temple. "I know so. You're smart. And determined. I know my wife, and I know you'll get it. Just go through the motions as if Cricket hadn't told you."

"Easier said than done."

"Maybe, but you can do it."

Instead of the tip of my tongue, I felt like something was on the tip of my brain, ready to jump off the diving board and into my pool of thoughts. Except it kept getting scared and backing off. Ever since Cricket said something, I felt like I knew what she was saying, but I just couldn't quite grasp it.

All this thinking made me tired.

When I yawned, Jacob moved to stand up. "Alright, Betty Homemaker, let's get you to bed. You've been doing a lot lately."

"Oh, shut up," I muttered.

But he was right. After he sifted the logs on the fire and unplugged the tree, I leaned on him as we went down to bed. So tired, I just collapsed on the bed, fully dressed. Jacob chuckled before coming over to get me out of my clothes. Once I was stripped to my underwear, he tucked me up on the pillows and under the blankets.

All I remembered was feeling the bed dip on his side and his warmth at my back.

**The Next Morning…**

**RPOV**

I frowned at my brush as my stomach flopped. Nerves.

My dreams last night had not been pleasant even with Jake wrapped around me. Visions of the Volturi had danced through my head. Blood dripping out of their mouths as they went around biting the wolves, infecting them with their fatal venom. Aro slaughtering Jacob in front of me.

_Awesome_, I thought, my stomach doing another flip.

But the thoughts of Aro made me think of my conversation with him. And that made me think of Jacob's speech to all the packs. With any luck, Aro would be bringing Jane and Tristan with him, plus the Denalis. The first two Jake and I would want to deal with in our own way, to pay them back for all they've put us through.

Wait. Did I just…?

Throwing my brush on the counter, I ran out of the bathroom. Jake was just coming out of the closet in his usual tank and jeans when I smacked into him. It was like hitting a wall. He didn't move, but I stumbled back.

Reaching out, he gripped my arms to steady me. "Ness, what the hell?"

"I think I figured it out," I said breathlessly.

"What?"

"The plan. To avoid war. I think I got it."

He pushed me to the bed where we both sat down.

"Slow down. What are you talking about?"

Gripping his biceps excitedly, I said, "You told me last night that one thought would lead to another and blah blah blah, right?"

"Right."

"Well, that just happened. I was brushing my hair, my stomach not feeling right because I was thinking about my nightmares last night." He tried to ask what nightmares, but I was already rushing forward. "Anyway, that led me to think about Aro and my convo with him. And then I thought about what you said at the meeting of all the packs. Mete out our own justice."

He quirked an eyebrow. No words, but I knew he was wondering if I was still sane.

Forcing myself to calm down, I took a deep breath. "When they get here, we demand the Denalis in exchange for the names of his traitors. No doubt Caius had been avoiding touching him or even had Abigail wipe his memory before she escaped. So there's one solution down. That is if Aro really cares. But the fighting. To avoid the war, we ask to fight those that have caused problems with us. One on one fighting. You and Tristan. Me and Jane. No doubt Caius and Caden. More like a fight ring. That we win. Once we do that, we tell Aro to leave us alone, that we want nothing to do with them or the outside world. We just want to live our lives."

"You really think it'll work?"

"Jake, it's the only brilliant idea I've had. And it makes sense. How often does that happen?"

He laughed and tugged me to him to that he could kiss my forehead. "Let's run it by your dad, Carlisle, and Jasper. Emmett won't be happy that he won't get to fight anything, but he can deal."

"Soooo, you'll go along with it?"

He sighed. "It's the only logical plan that any of us has been able to come up with. Let's talk to Cricket."

"Don't have to!" she sang, knocking on the walls as she came down the stairs. "Hope you're decent. Anyway, I heard_ everything_," she said, prancing down the last step into our room.

"So what do you think?" Jacob asked.

"I think it totally makes sense. A whole lot of sense. How did I not see that before? Geez."

She pulled me from Jacob to wrap me in a hug. "How's your heart feel about it?" I asked, struggling to breath.

"Well, no warning bells. I'm assuming that's a good thing. Usually, if I go the wrong direction, I feel a pit in my stomach. Nothing this time."

Finally she let me go, and I sucked in some oxygen.

Cricket went for the stairs. "So, now that we have a plan, are you gonna make breakfast again? I could totally go for more waffles."

"Shouldn't you be making breakfast for her? She came up with the plan," Jacob asked.

Cricket just let it roll off her. "Pfft, I can burn water. Me cooking is not the best idea."

I rolled my eyes. "We'll be up in a second."

"Yes!" Turning she ran up the stairs, shouting, "Trey! We get waffles again!"

Jacob and I both laughed.

A couple minutes later, I was back to making breakfast. Jacob gave me a look when I didn't eat anything.

"You ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah, just still not hungry. And nothing sounds good." I did drink some sweet tea, which my stomach seemed to like. Damn nerves.

"Still feeling up to hunting?" Jacob asked.

At the thought of deer blood, my stomach let out a loud gurgle. Suddenly, I was famished.

Jacob laughed. "I'll assume that's a good sign."

"Very. Suddenly, I'm starving."

Jacob scarfed down his food in record time. Standing up, he went to put his plate in the sink and then came back to me with his hand out, waiting for me to take it. "Come on. Let's get you fed."

"I can't believe you're going to go kill Bambi," Cricket whined.

Jacob looked over at her. "Not Bambi. We never go after babies. We're hunting his dad."

"Jerk," she muttered as Jake chuckled, leading me outside.

There was at least five inches of snow outside. I was in my hiking boots and a light jacket. I'd get too hot in a heavier coat. Jacob had phased, leaving his clothes behind a big tree. He stretched out his wolf form, having not phased since they'd returned from up north. I scratched under his chin and he purred. Closing my eyes, I stretched out my hearing, listening for anything close by.

Through my stomach growling, I just couldn't tune it out. Sighing, I looked at Jake. "Can you hear anything?"

Stepping forward, he closed his eyes, ears twitching back and forth. After about two minutes, he hunkered down, hackles raising.

Grinning, I crouched down beside him. "On the count of three. One...two...three!"

At the same time, we ran into the trees with me staying slightly behind Jacob. He knew where he was going. I didn't. The snow was slick here and there. Multiple times, I had to reach out for Jacob's flank in order to stay upright. We darted in and out of shrubs, hanging limbs and over roots. It was amazing to watch him in the woods. It was like the wilderness just bowed to him, getting out of his way. Billy had been right. He was king of this forest.

Eventually, we came to the edge of a massive rock formation. He slowed and crouched down to his belly, scooting over the rocks. I crouched next to him. Down below, a herd of deer were grazing through the thin layer of snow. A large buck stood at the head of the others, watching over them. Immediately my mouth watered. As I was about to move, Jacob's large head moved to the side and nudged me in the stomach. Bot urging me back and reminding me that I wasn't at top performance right now.

I nodded. "You're right," I whispered. "You should go."

Nodding, he quietly slunk to the side and slipped back into the woods. For a good five minutes, nothing happened. The deer just kept grazing. And then a doe's head raised up, ears perky and alert. The buck went on alert, too.

But it was too late.

With speed uncommon to a normal wolf, Jacob burst from the shrubs right behind the male, teeth clapping together over the deer's bony lower back leg so as to lessen the blood loss. Scattering, the herd left in a panic. The buck's other hoof came back to clip Jacob in the muzzle. Growling, he quickly broke the back leg and then went for the throat to lessen the suffering.

"Finally", I sighed.

Hunger consuming me, I made my way down to the clearing. Jacob was working on fea-nipping the fur off around the throat as I ran over to them. Sitting down with my legs crossed, I pulled the buck into my lap and finished yanking the fur out.

"Thank you, baby," I managed to get out before digging in.

As soon as that blood hit my stomach, I felt instantly better. The stomach ache was gone. My head cleared, eyes gaining better focus. My nose picked up each scent around me right down to the roots in the dirt.

It took about an hour, but I completely drained the buck. Which had only happened once before. Jacob had even burrowed his head under the back end and lifted so that it was at an angle and the blood drained toward me. The thing was completely empty by the time I was done. I rested against the rock wall while Jacob pulled the deer out of the clearing.

Patting my full belly, I smiled at Jake who had come to sit in front of me. "That was exactly what I needed. I feel so much better. Thank you."

Inching closer to me, his nose touching mine, he licked me, right over the mouth.

Sputtering and laughing, I pulled away, wiping at my mouth. And then I saw why he'd done it. There was blood on my hand from wiping my face. He'd been getting the blood off. I finished what he started while he thumped his tail at me, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Laughing, I managed to get to my feet. "Come on, Kujo. Let's go home. Or at least to Mom and Dad to spill about the plan."

Walking through the woods beside him, he nudged me toward our house. I felt sloshy as we walked, full of the warm, thick liquid. Once we got back home, Jacob went to phase back, grabbing his clothes. My four guards were still at the house. Jacob must have told them to stay here though I don't know why. Maybe he wasn't as strict about the security since we were pretty sure where our enemies were.

After he donned his clothes, he joined me, reaching for my hand. Twining our fingers, he led us back down the path toward the big house. He kissed my knuckles. "You sure did drink a lot. The whole thing."

I frowned. "I know. It's weird. I've been steadily hunting since we made the schedule. I don't know why I was craving it that time." I shrugged. "But hey, at least I feel better. I am not going to ask questions."

He kissed my head. "Me either. As long as you feel better. You worried me when you didn't eat anything for breakfast."

"Sorry. Apparently, my body was craving the deer."

"No kidding."

About ten minutes later, we made it down to the big house. Aunt Alice opened the door before we got to it and frowned.

"Where's Cricket?"

"Up at the house," Jacob said.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to go up there. If that's okay with you?"

For some reason that bothered me but I said, "Sure," with a smile.

She smiled at me softly. "Don't worry, Ness. I haven't forgotten that you're my niece, too."

I smiled at her. That was exactly what had been bothering me. She'd been spending so much time with Cricket that I had barely seen her lately. I was missing my aunt.

"So, what brings the two of you here?"

"Uh, well, we need to talk to Dad, Carlisle, and Jasper. But you might be able to help, too, since we came up with a plan. Maybe you can see something on our end."

"Sure. Your parents are at the cottage, but they're on their way. Carlisle's in his study. And you know where Jazz is."

"Chess," Jake and I said at the same time.

Aunt Alice laughed. "Yup. Come on in."

Jacob and I moved through the house. Aunt Rose popped up from the floor to swoosh over to me, wrapping me in a hug.

"Oh, my favorite niece. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

Hugging her back, I said, "I'm still not telling you what I'm getting you for Christmas. But your only niece loves you, too."

Pulling back, she frowned, and I thought she was going to say something about the Christmas joke, but she didn't. Instead, she sniffed. "You smell different."

Jacob laughed. "She just sucked down an entire buck by herself. I'd imagine she would."

"I suppose," she said slowly. And then shrugged. "Oh well. I'm just glad to see you guys."

Jacob and I shared a look.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked.

Again, she shrugged. "I don't know. I just am. And I love you both."

Jacob looked down at me. "Now I know she's sick."

She punched him in the arm.

He clutched it. "Ow, blondie. You're full vampire. Your hits hurt more than Nessie's."

She laughed. "Gettin' soft on us, huh? You need to wrestle with Emmett more."

Uncle Emmett cracked his knuckles. "I'm game."

"Absolutely not," I said. "I like my husband in one piece, thanks."

Jacob looked offended. "Don't think I could take him?"

"I didn't say that. It's just along the way, you'd lose pieces. I happen to like every piece firmly attached to your body."

"Good point," he said.

"Aww. You two are no fun anymore," my uncle pouted.

"You know what?" Jake said. "You're right. I accept that challenge."

"Jacob!"

"What? I gotta get back in the swing of dancing with the bloodsuckers. Might as well train with family. And Xavier can join in."

"Who's Xavier?"

"One of Walker's younger wolves. He needs fight training."

Jasper and Emmett shared a look.

Emmett cracked his knuckles again. "Excellent."

Aunt Rose, Aunt Alice, and I all shared an eye roll.

"Men," we all said at the same time.

"It is an excellent idea, though," Dad's voice floated over to us.

Grinning, I hugged him as he and Mom came into the house. "Hey, Daddy."

"Hi, sweetie. Was the deer good?"

"Very."

"Good."

And then I went to Mom's arms. She stroked my hair and kissed my cheek. "Love you, my little nudger."

"Love you, too, Momma."

Jacob shook Dad's hand and hugged Mom.

"So, what's this plan I heard about?" Mom asked?

"Well, we were wanting Carlisle here, too."

"I'm here," he called before moving up to stand with the group. "Let the meeting commence."

We all laughed. Still, even knowing how I was planning this, that I was planning to fight, I wasn't nervous. I actually felt like we were heading in the right direction, finally having something to grasp onto.

"Ness actually had the idea, so I think she should go over it," Jacob said, his arm wrapped around my waist.

All eyes turned to me, the house quiet.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, well, I was thinking that when we met up with them, they'll surely find the Denalis and we could make a trade. The Denalis for the names of their traitors." Aunt Alice went into vision mode while I talked. "We could have all three packs there. That's about two hundred and eighty wolves or more. Aro would see that he's outnumbered. So, to avoid an all-out war, we could bargain to take the traitors off Aro's hands, to punish them right there in the field. One on one fights. That way, Aro and our side would know that the threats are eliminated. After, we tell them to leave us alone. To let us be. That we just want peace."

When I was finished, eyes went to Alice.

"It's hard," she said after a moment. "So many wolves. But if Aro does go for it, I can see glimpses of Nessie and Jane going at it."

"What of the Denalis?" Carlisle asked. Esme had come in from the kitchen to stand by her mate.

"Safe. With us. Edward, Bella, Rosalie, all of us standing and watching." Her eyes focused, and she looked at me. "It matches with Cricket's vision. Guys, this might actually be that easy. Except for the fighting part. But Cricket does say that we win. I would assume all who fight survive?"

Jacob sighed. "Neither of you seem to know the answer to that part."

Aunt Alice patted his arm. "That's often how it goes. We can't predict the way the fight will go on the other person's behalf. What I just saw was the outcome should Aro agree with everything Ness has decided should happen. It's a guess how something will go when it could end up completely opposite."

I gripped his hand. "Hey, at least it matches up. It looks like we know what we want on our end. There might need to be improvisation but we can work with that, okay? At least we have something. Don't lose that optimism."

Taking in a deep breath, he nodded. "You're right, baby. At least we have something."

I could tell that he still had issues with the answer, but he was trying.

"So, it looks like we have a rough plan," I said. "And Jacob arranged a bonfire tomorrow. I'd love it if you came out. Cricket and Trey will be forced to join as well."

"Sure, baby," Mom said. "Is that all you came here for?"

"Uh, well that's all I had planned."

"But," Jacob jumped in quickly. "We can hang around. We haven't been hanging out with you guys enough lately."

"Absolutely."

Dad grinned. "Well, come on in. Get comfortable."

I shrugged out of my jacket and boots before following Mom, my aunts, and my grandmother to the kitchen. Now that I'd had my blood, I wanted some food to settle on my stomach. Jacob went to watch football with the others. No doubt he and Uncle Emmett were going to be throwing jabs at each other the entire time we were here.

As we started cooking lunch, the kitchen door opened.

"Knock, knock?"

Mom grinned. "Hey, Shelby! Come on in. We were just making lunch."

Shelby and Seth walked in with Brayden.

"Hey, guys," I said. "Are you hungry or have you already eaten?"

"We're good," Seth said. "Don't want to impose."

Esme waved a fork at him. "Nonsense."

"He's starving," Dad called from the kitchen.

Seth tossed a look at the door. "Thanks, Edward," he said dryly.

"Not a problem."

He rolled his eyes.

Shelby laughed. "We just came down for check-ups for the two men in my life."

"Ah," Esme said. "I believe Carlisle went back up to his study."

Seth took Brayden from Shelby and gave her a kiss. "It shouldn't take too long. You hang out with the girls."

Shelby looked uncertain, her lip between her teeth. "You sure? Maybe I should go up, too, just in case."

"Shelby, I am perfectly capable of taking my own son up a flight of stairs to see the doctor. I'm sure Carlisle would be more than happy to come down and update you." He reached out a hand to cup her face. "Sweetie, you've got to learn to let him out of your sight, unless you don't think I'm a fit dad."

Shock floated across her features. "I never said that. You're perfect with him."

"Then let me do this, Shelbs."

Her eyes darted between her mate and her son a few times before she sighed and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."

He kissed her forehead and went for the stairs.

Shelby sighed, plopping into a chair. "Is my mommy syndrome really that much of a pain in the ass?"

Mom and I shared a look, as if we weren't sure if she really wanted an answer.

She glared at me. "Come on, Ness. You're my best friend. Tell me. Seth won't say anything."

"It's not really my place, Shelby. It should be between you and Seth."

"But you're my best friend. You're the only person I can handle the blunt truth from."

Wiping my hands on a towel, I sat down next to her at the small table in the kitchen with a very heavy sigh. "Not so much a pain in the ass as...a hindrance. Look, Seth just wants you to know that he's perfectly capable of taking care of your son so that you can have a break to have time to yourself. Though I don't know what it's like to be a mom, I do know that you do have to learn to let him go, especially with his dad."

Reaching out, she gripped my fingers hard. "I do know he can take care of him."

I placed my other hand over hers and gave her a stern look. "Do you? Whenever Seth is holding him, you hover as if you don't really trust him."

Her green eyes went to the door they had both disappeared through. "Ever since Seth got hurt, I've been scared out of my mind. Seth is back on patrols, though not full shifts. When someone else is holding Brayden, Seth is always by my side. At all times, I have one or the other with me. If something ever happened to Seth again, I need Brayden, that piece of Seth. Losing them both would destroy me."

I shared another look with my mom. It was that look that told each other our hearts were hurting for Shelby.

Turning my hand over, I squeezed her hand. "Shelby, we aren't going to let anything happen to either one of them. Paul and Jacob were right when they said that Seth was the best of all of us. He really is. And he's going to raise his son to be the same way. We'll make sure he's around to do this. The danger is very real to all of us. And now we have Calahan's pack, adding another hundred and some odd wolves for protection." Her eyes had drifted again, and I squeezed her hand once more to get her attention. "Baby steps, Shelby. Baby steps. And letting him go in the same house is a good one. Just breathe. Help us finish up lunch. Time will fly and before you know it, both of your men will be back."

She took a deep breath that she blew out hard and nodded. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"Not lose a hand due to not paying attention."

Laughing I said, "So, nothing involving a knife. Got it. Um…" I snapped. "You can finish up the meat, watch over the steaks while they're in the oven and wrap up the baked potatoes."

"Sure. Is there any chicken defrosted? I'm kinda steak-ed out."

"I think so." Checking the fridge, I said, "Aha," and pulled it out.

As predicted, time flew as we moved around the kitchen, bumping into each other playfully and throwing flour at each other.

"Really? I think I've seen more food fights in this house than I ever did in high school."

Jacob's deep chuckle followed Seth's words.

Shelby spun around and I looked over my shoulder. Jacob was holding Brayden while Seth walked wonky.

"What happened?" Shelby demanded worriedly, practically shouting.

I cleared my throat.

She took a deep breath. "I mean," she said more quietly. "Everything ok?"

I hid my grin behind her back.

Seth's eyebrows met his hairline in surprise before he smiled and hobbled over to take her in his arms. "Everything's just fine. Carlisle just wanted to take more scans to make sure and Jake came up to occupy Brayden while we were busy. And then the doc stretched me out. That's why I'm walking weird."

"So you're both healthy?"

"They're both perfectly healthy." My grandfather was in the doorway, standing beside Jake. "All scans were clear. And Brayden is perfect, still progressing mentally faster than a child his age, but nothing to worry about. The same could be said physically. But he's perfectly healthy. Good weight for his size. No signs of ear infections or any other that I could detect. He has very good genes and I don't foresee him becoming ill a lot."

Visibly, she relaxed. "Good. That's really good."

"You want him back, Shelbs?" Jake asked.

It was clear that she wanted to say yes. Instead, surprising all of us, she shook her head, swallowing hard. "No, that's ok. Take him in there with the boys."

"You sure?"

I glared at him over her shoulder. She was doing so well. He needed to stop pushing her.

She looked back at me and I smiled.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, turning back to him. "He keeps hanging out with the females, he's going to end up a sissy."

We all chuckled.

Seth hugged her, whispering, "Thank you." He looked at me when he said it, clearly thanking both of us. He'd known that I'd said something to her.

I nodded and winked.

Shelby let go of him, pushing his toward the living room. "Go hang out. Lunch will be ready in a little while."

Grinning, Seth turned to take Brayden from Jacob and both men went into the living room.

"Hey, Bray-man! Waddup?" Uncle Emmett said enthusiastically.

"Don't break my kid!" Shelby shouted.

"Aw, he's a werewolf. The big guy can handle it."

Closing her eyes, Shelby took a deep breath before huffing it out through her mouth. Laughing, I gripped her shoulders and turned her toward the stove.

"Breathe. Everything is ok. Right now, he is the safest baby in Forks. Werewolves and vampires surrounding him. He's fine."

"You're right. You're right." She turned back to grip my arm as I started to turn away. "Hey, Ness, thanks. I didn't really realize how I was acting. I'll need help to get over this...this thing, but I'm glad I have you to tell me how it is."

I hugged her. "You can pay me back by giving me the same speech when I have my own."

Shelby laughed. "Yeah, I think I can do that."

"No doubt, I'm gonna be a mess."

"You'll do fine, Ness. You are perfect mom material. And Jake? He's amazing. You two are going to be one of those disgusting golden couples with the perfect kids and perfect relationship."

I couldn't help my laugh. "You and Seth are pretty perfect with a gorgeous son. I think you might be one of those couples, too. So join the club."

A look of pure revulsion took over her expression. "Oh my god, you're right. We're disgusting."

Mom joined in the laugh.

"Not disgusting," she said. "Adorable."

"Adorable? No offense, Mrs. C, but that's not any better."

"Charming, then."

Shelby mulled it over. "Ok, I can handle charming."

"Ok, well, Mrs. Charming, let's finish lunch. This alpha female is starving."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?"

We all got back to work, and in less than an hour, it was all ready. All the people in the house who actually ate food gathered in the dining room. Brayden stayed with Uncle Emmett in the living room until Shelby was done so she could go feed him. When she finished with that, she left him with my uncle once more and told him how to burp him. When he refused, Aunt Rosalie took Brayden.

I nudged Shelby. "See how cute it is when people fight over him? He's perfectly safe. Mom trusted me with all these people."

"That is true," she conceded. "It's just hard because he was all I had when Seth was...down for the count."

Seth glanced at her with pain in his eyes. He hated that she'd gone through that rollercoaster. And it hadn't helped that she'd had a baby to take care of while nursing a broken heart.

Jacob reached across the table to take her hand. "Shelby, I swear to you that we're going to make our families safe again. We're going to make it to where the Volturi will never bother us again. We'll surround ourselves with allies. What happened up north will never happen again."

She squeezed his hand. "I still want to destroy Nyla for what she did to Jordan."

Jake and I exchanged glances.

"Well," he said, "you just might get your chance. Ness has come up with a rough plan. One on one fights are involved."

"What?" Seth demanded. "No, not happening."

"Seth-"

"Shelby." He pinned her with a glare. "No. I won't risk losing you. You haven't even shifted yet."

"You can't control my life, Seth."

"Watch me. Do we need to have the same 'obeying orders' talk that Ness and Jake did? You're _my_ mate, and_ I_ am second in command of this pack."

Shelby looked to Jacob. "He can't do this!"

Sighing, Jacob sat back in his chair. "Normally, I'd sit this fight out. However, Seth, I'm with Shelby on this one."

He sprang to his feet. "_What_?! How could you-"

Jacob calmly watched him. "Because I'm in the same boat. I don't want Nessie to fight, but how can I say no when I risk my life all the time to keep her safe? She's willing to risk her life to keep our families safe. That's an alpha female. I would be a controlling bastard if I ordered her not to fight, not the husband who promised to treat his wife as his equal. Did you forget the stories, Seth? Of how wives of the Quileutes fought to protect their people? Ness and Shelby are no different. We can't continue to be cavemen."

Seth glared at him, breathing heavily.

Jacob just gave him calm eyes. "I've picked my battle. Unfortunately, it's not in your favor. I won't order Shelby not to fight, and we both know that I'm the only one who could do it and make it stick."

"She's not our kind of wolf. Your alpha tone won't work on her," Seth ground out.

"I'm aware of that. But she'd listen to me because I'm not her mate and the father of her child. I'm an objective party, a distanced party. You are not."

"I can't believe you're doing this to me. After everything-"

"I'm being fair. This time, none of the females sit out. But sit down, and Ness can explain the plan and how we hope it works out."

Angry, Seth stiffly sat back down, not looking at Shelby or Jacob. Instead, he stared at me, jaw locked, teeth gritted. Beside me, Jake urged me to spill. For the next five minutes, I spoke to the otherwise silent dining room.

"And you think this will work?" Seth asked when I was finished.

He was still pissed but at least he wasn't yelling at me. I had a feeling Jake would have lost his cool if that happened.

"Alice believes that the plan matches up to Cricket's visions, and that it's the most sensible plan to avoid an all-out bloodbath," Jake said.

Seth turned to Shelby. "And you think you can take Nyla?"

"With how pissed I am? Yes. Her little attitude is nothing compared to the shit storm I'm gonna put her through." Reaching out, she took his hand. "And the we still don't know how this full moon will go. I looked it up. The next full moon is this weekend. The clouds obscure it at night here or I'd have probably guessed that. Maybe we can get Caden to help me force it, like he did with Walker." When he raised an eyebrow, she continued quickly. "Not exactly the way he did, not beat me or anything. But maybe he can help talk me through it."

Seth looked away from her.

"Baby, I know you're worried and scared of losing me. But you mated a fighter. I don't lay down for anyone. Not anymore. The bitch was there when you went down. No doubt she remembered me and knew who you were to me. If you hadn't saved Jake, she would have found another way to come after you in that clearing. I want her head sizzling on a silver platter. She killed Jordan. She forfeited her life when she came after us. I'm not gonna play a gentle game anymore. This isn't tag."

He looked at her. "Can we talk about this when we get home?"

He sounded defeated, though. I knew Shelby had won the argument.

She stroked the side of his face. "Yeah. Of course."

Seth grabbed that hand and pressed it to his lips, keeping it there, squeezing his eyes shut.

Esme came in through the swinging door holding a pie. "How about some homemade apple pie?"

Jacob clapped his hands together. "I'm game."

**TriciaPOV**

I couldn't believe it. I was actually unpacking all my things into Embry's house. My clothes next to his in his closet. This was really happening. I had moved out and into his house. I was his live-in girlfriend. Freaking stoked didn't begin to cover how I was feeling.

He was lounging on the bed, his back against the headboard, hands behind his head. He was shirtless, and the fact that I wasn't currently molesting him would tell anyone that that's how excited I was to move my stuff in. Amusement wafted from him as I danced back and forth from the box on the bed to the closet.

"I don't think you're excited enough," he said with dry sarcasm.

Running around the bed, I hopped up on top of him, straddling his hips. "I am super excited," I said, gripping his face and kissing him all over.

Laughing, he wrapped his arms around me and rolled us, his big body settling on mine. He kissed my nose. "I can see that." His stomach gave out a roar as he leaned down to kiss me.

I smiled. "I think it's time to feed the beast. What do you want for dinner?"

His hands slid up under my shirt. "Just order a pizza. I can think of a few things to do until it gets here."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah."

Reaching into my pocket for my phone, I quickly looked up the nearest pizza shop and ordered a pepperoni for me and a meat lover's for Embry. Forty-five minutes was the wait time. Plenty could be accomplished in forty-five minutes. Such as...scooting down the bed under him, he sat back on his knees.

"Where are you going?" he asked suspiciously.

Grinning, I got to where I wanted to be. Face to face with his erection. Reaching around his legs, I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. Eyes meeting his, I reached through the jeans and the nonexistent underwear, gripping that rock hard length and pulling it free.

His body tensed, but those eyes watched me, heat boiling in those brown depths. Chest heaving, his breathing picked up as I leaned forward and caressed the tip of my tongue over the tip of his erection. Breath exploded from his lungs.

For a moment, I just swirled my tongue over the tip, lightly scraping teeth, and gently sucking with my lips. He pulsed in the grip of my fist as I gripped his shaft and sucked him down. A yell burst from his lips. The heat in his eyes now was like a sizzling pool of lava.

Letting go of him, I wrapped my arms around his legs and went to work sucking down his length and width. My mouth and throat stretched, relaxing to take him in. On the deep strokes, my throat threatened to constrict, but I stayed calm, keeping relaxed, and breathed through it. He liked when I took him deep, so I tried to do it more and more, practicing. This wasn't near as difficult as I'd thought it would be. At least I didn't have any gag reflexes.

Leaning backward, abs clenching as his core worked to hold him up, he undid my own jeans and plunged his hand between my legs, fingers slipping over me, searching.

Pausing, I spasmed as he found that magical spot, stroking over me. His middle finger probed for my opening. When he found it and thrust his finger into me, I swallowed him down with a moan.

Moving my arm up, I scratched nails down his chest and stomach. His muscles were taut and delicious. I just wanted to lick every tight edge he had. Instead, I focused on the part in my mouth, the thick length pulsing between my lips.

Embry pushed his other hand down into my hair, pulling my head toward the base of his body. I knew from talk around school that a lot of girls didn't like that. They wanted freedom. But I loved it, knowing that he wanted me all over him, to swallow him down.

His fingers played over me, inside me, deep. And then his palm pressed against that sensitive bundle of nerves, and I was immediately on the edge of orgasm.

"Tricia," he growled out. "Close."

We both were. As he increased his speed on my body, I increased mine on his. Under my hand on his torso, his breath exploded over and over, muscles tensing hard as rocks under smooth skin.

The next moment, he used that magic combination of a deep thrust with three fingers and his palm hitting that bundle of nerves and I exploded. Screaming around him must have been the magic button for him because he pulsed and jerked in my mouth before thrusting deep. In the next instant hot, thick liquid was pouring down my throat and I had no choice but to swallow it down.

After a few pulses, his body deflated. Mine was wrung out and limp underneath him as he fell back between my legs. His feet ended up next to my head.

"Dear god," he said hoarsely.

I chuckled. "Amen."

And then the doorbell rang.

Perfect timing. I was starving.

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**This chapter was great. And we are getting closer and closer to the arrival of the Volturi. Maybe a shift for Shelby? We shall see. Oh and the bonfire! Remember! Reviews and PMs are very welcome! Love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo**


	24. Chapter 24

**Probably one of my favorite chapters out of everything I've written on here. Soooo many things. Edward just...freaking awesome. I loved him this chapter. Derek and Adam! (Squeeeeee!). Shelby? Embry and Tricia? Duuuuude! Chapter 24, folks.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

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**JPOV**

Waking up early Saturday morning, I decided to drive to Port Angeles to pick up Nessie's Christmas present. I'd called the jewelry store before I'd donned my leather jacket and jumped on the old bike. She still purred like the day I'd finished fixing her up. Kept her in tune all these years.

When I got there, they were very helpful about everything and already had the necklace boxed up. All I had to do was pay and leave. Back outside, snow had started to fall in earnest. So far, this was turning out to be the snowiest winter that I could remember around here.

I made it to the Cullen house just before the storm hit hard, snow falling so fast that it was impossible to see.

Knocking on the door, I waited for someone to answer.

It was Bella.

"Hey, Bells. I was wondering if I could get a favor."

"Sure. Come on in. What's up?"

I took the square box out of my jacket while Bella dusted off my shoulders and hair. "I need you to wrap this," I said, shoving her hands away from me. "I'm terrible at stuff like that and I want it perfect."

She took it, but didn't open it. "What is it?"

"Nessie's Christmas gift." And then I thought of something. "She isn't here, is she?"

She shook her head. "Nope. You mind if I take a peek?"

"As long as she's not here."

Immediately, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme were standing around her, watching over her shoulder as she opened the box.

All four of them gasped.

"Oh, Jacob," Esme said. "It's beautiful."

"You think she'll like it?"

Rosalie shook her head making my stomach drop. And then she smiled. "She'll_ love_ it. Seriously, you did amazing."

Originally, I'd seen something like it in a store window, but I figured I'd have something custom made for her. The pendant was a white gold circle with a silhouette of a wolf howling to match her ring. In the circle, black and topaz diamonds were set into the metal. The wolf was outlined in black diamonds, its one visible eye topaz. The black represented my side while the topaz represented her, the color I associated with the Cullens because of their eyes and some of the highlights in Nessie's hair.

Edward came up behind them as Alice took the box to go wrap it. "You did well, son."

"Thanks." Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out my wallet to hand him back the card. "And thanks for the card. I'll pay you back."

"Keep it, Jacob."

"Edward, sometime you're going to have to run out of money. Look, once this crap is over, I'm head mechanic at the shop. It's already in effect. I'll just be full time after. It's good money. And it's time we get our own cards, use our own money. Really, I appreciate everything. The cabin, the trucks, everything you've provided for my pack. It means a lot. And I won't refuse help on the pack's behalf, of course, if it's offered. But I want to provide for my wife and myself, and our future family. To try to be a little normal. I can't keep this."

He nodded, but didn't take the card from me. "How about this: you keep the card and use it for pack necessities. That card will be solely for that reason." When I started to argue, he held up a hand. "Jacob, what else am I going to use all of that money for? I've been alive a very long time, and have collected a lot. Alice keeps us well-funded with our stocks. We won't be broke for a very very long time. My great-great-great-great-grandchildren will be well provided for. Keep it. Use it as needed. I fully support that you want to provide for my daughter and my future grandchildren. I do. And I want to do something for you. The pack is more active than Bella and I are. That card is a personal one of ours."

We just stared at each other.

"Jacob, when Bella and I married, my funds became hers. And she didn't accept that at first. She still has problems using the money. But Renesmee is our daughter. Whatever she wants or needs, we can provide the spending money for. She's used to living that kind of life."

I tensed, good mood floundering. "So you support me_ trying_ to provide for her, but you don't_ think_ that I can. Nice. That's really touching, Edward."

"Jacob-"

"Yo, Alice! Is it ready yet? I wanna get home."

Edward gripped my arm tightly, forcing me to look at him. His jaw was clenched. "Listen to me, Jacob. And listen good. I have every faith that you can provide necessities. Every. Faith. And for your future children. But Nessie is used to being able to drop money on whatever she wants. A head mechanic's salary is not enough to support that. And the miracle that she is, I want to give her that, to make sure she can have what she wants. And do you know what? Every high dollar item she's bought has been for you. Nothing for herself. And I am willing to keep supporting that so that you can support your family." With a steady glare, he gripped my arm tighter. "You are my son. I have never doubted your ability to keep my daughter happy and well-provided for. She'd live in a shack as long as she was with you. Wear rags as long as you kissed her every day. Never dare assume that I think less of my son for something as materialistic as the money he does or does not make."

Silently, I shook my arm from his grasp, took my wallet back out and put the card inside before tucking it away.

He nodded at me.

I nodded back.

A moment later, Alice and the rest appeared behind him with looks that told me they'd heard every word but weren't going to say anything, making things awkward.

Alice handed me the neatly wrapped square. "Here you go, Jacob."

Taking it from her, I smiled. "Thanks, Alice. I owe you one. All of you. And now I have to use you and leave you. Ness and I are spending the day on the rez before the bonfire. You're still coming, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Bella said, snuggling into Edward's side.

"Good. See you guys later."

Turning, I went for the door. With my hand on the knob, I paused and looked over my shoulder to Edward.

He nodded again.

I nodded back. Again.

And then left to go hold my wife.

On my way back up to the cabin on my bike, I couldn't help but play Edward's words through my head over and over. I hadn't seen him like that, so...fatherly toward me. Or at least fatherly-in-law. But his words sank deep. All the time we'd fought over Bella, he'd been grudging toward me. Now, he was beyond supportive, telling me he_ wanted_ me to provide for his daughter, that I was his son no matter the connection. That meant more to me than I thought it had. We were truly family. And since the pack was also my family, he was more than happy to provide for them. That meant even more.

The snow reached the dirt drive here and there through canopy of trees, but for the most part, the drive was clear. Finally, after a couple minutes, I made it home. Kicking off the bike, I rolled it under the tall porch opening and covered it with a tarp. The cabin was on an incline so the porch was higher off the ground than if the cabin were level.

Walking into the house, I took out the wrapped box and set it on the mantle before slipping out of my jacket, throwing it on the back of the couch. It was still early in the morning. The jewelry store had opened super early just for me because I'd left a message last night, and I was associated with the Cullens.

After I built the fire in the living room back up, I plopped down on the couch, too wired to go back to sleep. The look in Edward's eyes just kept floating at the front of my mind.

Hands touched my shoulders, massaging at first, before moving down my chest.

"You're up early," Ness mumbled in my ear sleepily. "I thought I heard your bike."

"You did." Reaching up, I gripped one of her hands. "Gotta start her up every now and then or she'll stop working altogether."

"Sounds reasonable." She kissed my neck.

"What are you doing up?" I asked as her hair spilled over my shoulder. "It's early."

"I know. I guess I knew you weren't there, and I just woke up."

Gently shrugged out of her hold, I kept one hand in mine as I stood up. She looked exhausted. "Come on." I pulled her toward the stairs.

"Why?"

"Because this is too early for you. You need at least a few more hours of sleep."

She tugged on my hand. "Jake, I'm fine."

I turned around to face her. "Ness, I know you. You need sleep. And if I have to be there in the bed, then I will be. Let me take care of you, okay? I'm still your husband."

Sighing, she stepped into my body, resting her head on my chest. "I'm aware of that. Alright, come hold me while I sleep."

"Absolutely."

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I picked her up and went for the bedroom. Even though I didn't feel all that tired, I'd probably fall asleep next to her warmth.

I could handle that.

**MorganPOV**

Life was weird.

That was the only way to explain it. All of our pack was blissfully happy even aware that danger was only a week and a half away or so. Nessie had sent out a mass text outlining her plan. To avoid war, it was a good plan. But none of us lowly wolves liked that our alphas were going to be fighting without help. I, personally, didn't like that Jacob and Nessie were both going to fight. And Shelby. That one I really didn't like. She was a new mother with a recently resurrected mate. It made me uneasy.

Beside me, Lucas rolled over, his arm snaking over my waist. He'd moved in with me months ago. Surprisingly, his dad hadn't had one complaint. Instead, he'd just smiled and waved, happy that his son was happy. Lucas still worked at the flower shop and was going to partner the store with his dad once he turned twenty-one. The shop was very popular on the rez and in Forks, so it wasn't going to go under any time soon.

"You okay?" he asked softly, fingers playing over my skin.

Turning over on my side to face him, I stroked fingers down his cheek. "I just don't like this plan, Lucas. At all. If our alphas fight, we should, too. It's our job to protect them."

His thumb stroked over my hipbone. "I don't like it either. But what choice do we have if we don't want this whole section of the state slaughtered. It's minimal casualties. There really is no other choice."

I rolled over onto my back once more, sighing. "How are we supposed to just stand by?"

"No doubt Jake will give an order."

"Yeah, probably." Rolling out of bed, I stretched. "Come on. We told Jake that we'd help get the area ready for the bonfire. I am not cooking."

Laughing, he rolled out of bed, too. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I've never actually been to one of these things."

"Think high school party but with more food."

"Sounds delicious."

Rolling my eyes, I went for the bathroom. "You're always hungry."

"Duh."

Knowing Lucas wasn't happy with the plan either made me feel a little better. But not much.

This was going to be a long couple of weeks.

**ChristaPOV**

Before heading up to the cliffs, Walker and I dropped Haleigh off at Emily's to play with Claire and Leila. We didn't want her up there while we were busy setting up everything and couldn't keep an eye on her.

The boys were going to pile up the firewood and then go collect every grill they could find. Some of us women were going to head to the grocery store to pick up the food. When Walker and I got there, Jacob handed me a credit card with Edward's name on it. The Cullens dropped enough money around Forks that nobody would try to ID us. They knew the Cullens were associated with the Quileutes.

"Get whatever you need," Jacob had said.

"Thanks."

Morgan, Kim(Jared's wife), Rachel, Rebecca, and Nessie went with me. It was good that Nessie went because she was a Cullen. I handed her the card to use when the time came. We all kissed our men goodbye before taking one of the trucks into Forks.

It took about four hours to get everything in the carts, pay for it all, and then pack it up. Five carts full of meats, chips, drinks, and various other things filled up the bed of the truck. I'd about had a heart attack when the cashier had come up with the total, but Ness hadn't batted an eye. She'd just smiled, handed over the card, and gave up her ID.

The woman had glanced at it before shaking her head with a smile. "It's all good, hun. I know who you are," she'd said.

From there they'd chit-chatted while the bagger caught up and finally filled up all five of the baskets once more. Each of us pushed a cart. One of them was so heavy it took two of us. Luckily the bed was loaded down because there was still ice on the roads.

We made it back safely. All the men swarmed the truck, taking out groceries. We'd made sure to buy things that didn't need to be put together at home. They marinated the meat, tenderized it, and threw it on the grills. Slowly, other people started to show up as the afternoon waned. From the site that was chosen, we could still hear the waves crashing against the cliff walls below. The fire was roaring and giant white logs from the beach formed a giant circle around the flames where had enough room to dance around or lay out around the fire.

Eventually, Emily and Sam made it up with Leila. Once Haleigh was out of the car, she ran for me where I was standing beside Walker as he worked one of the grills.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

"Hey, sweetie!" I said as I scooped her up and placing her on my hip. "Did you have fun with Emily and Claire?"

She nodded animatedly. "Uh huh."

"Good. Give me a kiss."

She planted one on my cheek.

I leaned to the side. "Now daddy."

Walker leaned back so she could kiss his cheek, too.

I set her back on her feet. "Alright, go play. Don't leave the ring of logs, okay? Stay where I can see you." When Claire came over to take Haleigh's hand, bent down to meet her eyes. "Claire, can you watch her for us?"

She nodded. "Yes, Aunt Christa."

"No going outside the ring of logs, but don't let her get too close to the fire, okay?"

She nodded again. "Okay."

I smiled. "Good. Now, go have fun!"

Giggling, both of them ran into the circle of logs, skipping around. There were plenty of people around to watch over them. Quil was never far away from Claire. The grills were scattered around the perimeter.

"I still want one of our own," Walker said in my ear.

I smiled at him. "Me, too. Haleigh would make a great older sister."

"She would." He wrapped his free arm around my waist and pulled me to his side. Not for any reason other than to have me close.

"You want anything to drink?"

"Sure. A coke would be great."

Going to one of the coolers, I grabbed a can. Closing it, I looked up to notice that Derek and Adam were talking to one of the new wolves. I didn't recognize him as one of ours. So, one of Calahan's. The three of them seemed to be getting along very well. Casual touches here and there. Smiles all around. And no jealousy as they tossed back a couple beers.

We all knew that Derek and Adam hadn't imprinted on each other. But maybe some sort of arrangement could be made. It would be wonderful for them to find a third. They were a progressive couple, unafraid to try new things. If something worked out for them, I would support and be happy for them.

Grinning, I turned around and met gazes with Nessie, who was sitting between Jacob's knees, his back against one of the logs. He was laughing at something Embry was saying and Nessie was watching Derek and Adam. I made a happy face and pointed, my body blocking the motion from the threesome if they had looked over. She grinned back with a thumbs-up.

Morgan left Lucas's side to crank up the radio as more of Walker's and Calahan's wolves nervously made their way into the clearing. Glancing around, I saw Emma and Calahan. Making my way around and through chatting wolves, I made it to them, holding my hand out.

"Hey, guys. I'm glad you decided to come. We're just waiting on the meat to finish cooking. All available men are on the grills."

Instead of shaking my hand, Emma hugged me. "Thank you for inviting us."

"Jacob actually did that. His pack, my old pack, used to have these bonfires all the time. It's just a party to congregate and catch up."

"That is...actually a very good idea," Calahan said as he studied the area and all the wolves. "Jacob really does run his pack on kindness, doesn't he?"

I nodded. "And respect. On the reservation, all kids are taught that respect gets respect. That's how Walker and I are going to run the new pack." I shrugged. "We respect the way that packs are run with your kind of wolf. We just don't agree. We feel that our new wolves need to be shown some kindness, something soft. Not something that should be feared. And this," I motioned to the party, "is a good way to start. Having fun, relaxing. It's a good way to learn our people, to earn their trust by just talking to them, getting to know them. Everybody wants to feel special, like they matter, like they're not just another number in your ranks."

"And you learned this from Jacob?"

I nodded. "Yep. He's a great leader."

"And how has your pack been since implementing the new leadership technique?"

"Perfect. Nice, sweet. Very helpful. One of them owns some land outside of Forks. Bianka, our second in command, inherited quite a bit of money. So we're going to build plans for several cabins on the land so that they have their space. We haven't discussed it yet, but Walker and I will probably move out to be with them. This area is getting a bit crowded."

"Very," Emma agreed. "Calahan and I have been looking at surrounding areas. Now that your pack is no longer in its original area, we were thinking of staking a claim."

"That sounds good. Maybe all the alphas can get together and talk about it."

"That would be great."

Calahan looked around. "Where is your husband?"

Turning, I pointed. "Over at that grill. Come on. I was heading back that way anyway." I held up the can. "This is his."

They followed me over to Walker. Jacob nodded and raised his own drink to acknowledge them as we passed him.

It was great having everyone here, mingling. Once they knew of their welcome, the two new packs relaxed, easing into conversations and smiles. Every now and then, Emma would tug on Calahan's arm with a rin, urging him to watch their pack.

Maybe they, like me and Walker, could learn a few things from Jacob.

**RPOV**

This bonfire had been the best idea Jacob had had in a while. Everybody was dancing, laughing, and having a great time. Food was passed around.

Leaning back against Jacob's chest, I was utterly stuffed. Beside us, Tricia and Embry were sitting the same way. Tricia was positively glowing. Of course she was. She'd moved in with Embry. They were living in bliss.

My family was mingling with the other packs. Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett had found Xavier and were already talking to him. Dad and Carlisle were talking with Calahan, Emma, Bianca, and Angelica. Mom and my aunts were mingling around, trying to make members of the other packs more comfortable, engaging those who seemed more reserved than the others.

Suddenly, Jacob moved behind me, standing up.

I craned my neck back. "What are you doing?"

He held out his hand. "Come dance with me."

"What?"

"Don't you recognize the song? I'm hurt."

The tune floated through the people and over the voices. It took me a moment, but then I recognized it as our wedding song.

Grinning, I took his hand and he pulled me up. Spinning me out, he then pulled me against his body.

"I love this song. Not the traditional," I said.

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome. And describes how I feel about you to a tee."

I kissed him as he dipped me.

"I love you, too, baby."

He spun us around the fire, and then, when the song ended, smoothly sat us back with me sitting between his knees once more.

"That was pretty smooth," I laughed.

He nuzzled my neck, growling. "It was, wasn't it?"

We were both laughing when Adam sank down next to us. Neither of us saw him coming.

"Hey, Adam," Jake said. "What's up?"

His expression said he wanted to tell or ask us something but was deciding how to say it. "Uh, Jake, do you know if two people have ever imprinted on the same person?"

My eyes widened as Jacob frowned. "Well, I um, I don't know. I've never heard of it. My dad might know. Why?"

Leaning forward, I gripped Adam's arm. "Did you and Derek…? I saw you talking to that guy a while ago."

"What?" Jacob asked, looking between the two of us.

Adam nodded. "I think we both imprinted on him."

Grinning, I punched his arm. "Well, what's his name?"

"Rhett. He had a lover, but when the guy cheated, Rhett transferred to Calahan's pack."

"And you and Derek_ both_ imprinted on him?" Jacob asked.

He nodded.

"It makes sense," I said.

Jacob looked at me like I was nuts. "How do you figure?"

"Think about it. They're in love with each other, truly in love, but didn't imprint. They've been scared to leave the rez in fear that they would. And now both of them imprint on the_ same guy_, keeping them together?"

Both men shared a look.

"I guess."

"What do you think, Jake?" Adam asked. "Are you ok with that?"

Now Jake looked at him like he was nuts. "Are you joking? I'm stoked for you guys. We probably need to talk to Calahan about it. I'm not sure how he feels about the same sex relationships. Walker said he'd question Bianca and Angelica. But we'll talk to him."

Holding his hand out, he said, "Thanks, Jake. This is really weird."

Jake took that hand, laughing. "You are not wrong about that, my friend. Now go. Enjoy the party. And the company."

"Thanks, man."

As he dashed off to be with his two males, we sat back enjoying watching all of these people. The kids ran around the fire. Claire helped Haleigh roast marshmallows and make s'mores. Seth and Shelby sat on the other side of us. Shelby had her knees up, Brayden laying on her legs. He was grinning and giggling. Reaching over, I booped his little nose. His face scrunched up.

A growl permeated the air between us forcing me to snap my arm back. Jacob and I exchanged a look.

Seth suddenly stiffened. "Shelby," he said in a low voice.

Immediately Caden was standing in front of them. My eyes moved up to the sky. Unfortunately, it was covered in clouds. But I'd bet anything that a full moon was dancing up there.

"Shelby," Caden said calmly. "Hand Brayden to Seth."

Only her eyes flicked up to glare at him and I gasped.

They were no longer green.

They were amber.

**ShelbyPOV**

Something was very wrong with me. I'd just growled at Nessie just for playing with Brayden.

"Shelby," Caden said again in his think accent. "Please give your son to his father. You need to come with me."

Looking up at him again, I found his amber eyes flashing. The moon was full and he was itching to shift.

"Please give me Brayden," Seth whispered.

Swallowing hard, I handed Seth my son. I could feel everything. The moon was pulling my blood through my body. I could even feel the water inside me flush around.

But more importantly, I could feel the wolf inside me stretch. She was ready to let loose, to be free. She'd offered me visions, telling me that it was going to hurt, and that though she didn't understand it, she felt bad. She stretched inside me, and I thought I could literally feel fur rub against the inside of my body. The tips of my fingers and toes tingled, ached. Then a sharp pain hit, and not just in my toes and fingers. She wanted free, and she was clawing the inside of me to get free.

A hand appeared in my face. I followed the arm up to see Walker's face. His eyes had turned a bright pale green.

"Take my hand, Shelby. Caden and I will take care of you."

The wolf in me paused. She recognized him. With my wolf eyes, I could look at him and see the hazy aura of his black wolf, the face imposed over his human one.

Body aching, I took his hand. He pulled me to my feet, and he and Caden helped me to the woods. My bones were vibrating as other wolves joined us.

"They are the weak ones of the packs. The ones who can't control the shift," Caden explained.

"It hurts," I managed to grit out. My bones were thrumming hard, hurting like growing pains.

"I know, luv, I know."

"We're almost out of sight, Shelby. Just hold on."

At that point, my legs became useless from the agonizing pain. After walking another yard or so, they leaned me against a tree, but my legs just wouldn't hold me up and I sank to my butt.

For a moment, the woods were eerily quiet for how many wolves had followed us in. And then the cracking started, followed by the moans and groans. My stomach rolled.

Walker twitched, rolling his shoulders. The air was filled with a suffocating energy that made my blood crackle.

"Shelby, stop fighting it," Caden said.

"I'm not," I said between clenched teeth.

He crouched in front of me. "Yes, you are. You're scared that you won't be able to control her, that you'll attack Seth and Brayden. But Walker and I won't let that happen. The more you fight, the more it will hurt."

"Obviously, I can't force it. What do you want me to do?"

He smirked. "First, stop talking to me from between your teeth. That's a sign you're trying to hold something back."

Anger boiled inside me. I was in severe pain and terrified that I'd hurt my son. Glaring up at him, I snarled.

"That's it. Secondly, I want you to get angry. Don't hold that rage back. Let it go. Let it rampage. Think about what's coming for us. The Volturi. Jane. Tristan…Nyla."

At the mention of her name, I sprang up at him. He evaded my claws and gripped my arms.

"That's it. Let it out, Shelby. You hate her. She watched as your mate was slaughtered," he growled into my face viciously. "You want to sink those claws into her body and rip her apart. Put her throat in your mouth and rip it out."

My humanity was folding away like a cheap card table, the wolf roaring to the front of my consciousness. Everything he just described played over my vision. The she-wolf pictured everything in vivid color.

Screaming, I fell to my knees. Spine arching, stretching, I fell on my hands. The first bone that broke was my right hip, another scream ripping from my throat. After that one break, more and more bones snapped. Muscles stretched and popped. Down my back, along my spine, my skin shredded. The she-wolf slipped my skin like I was glove, morphing my body into what she needed me to be in order to exist in the way she needed.

Despite my body breaking apart and reknitting, the she-wolf's relief at finally stretching out was strong enough to soothe the aches and agonizing pain down to something manageable, something I could breathe through. With her senses, she also knew that both Caden and Walker had gone into shift mode as well.

The leftover of the excruciating pain must have still been pumping adrenaline through my blood because I was pretty sure I passed out. The next moment, I opened my eyes, the world on its side. Looking down my nose, I realized it was no longer human. It was a long, white muzzle with a black padded nose that twitched as I sniffed the air. When my eyes managed to focus, there were two sets of front paws in front of me. One, white; the other black. The black one, Walker, stepped forward. Whining, he nudged my neck.

Slow. I knew I needed to move slow. So, staying on my side, I concentrated on moving my legs, just bending the joints. My own whine echoed from my throat from the pain of the stiffness. My now sensitive ears picked up a thumping sound. And I realized it was my tail hitting the ground.

The wolf in my head was anxious to get up, to stretch. And that made me excited to get up, to feel the power she gave me. Rolling to my stomach and sitting up, my head finally off the ground, I looked at all the wolves around me. Caden was the most powerful shifted wolf here, and they all knew it, eyes on him. His pure white form came around to my other side, pressing into me while Walker did the same on the side he was on. Together, their huge forms raised me up until my paws were under me. Looking down, my human self said, "Wow," in amazement at how big those paws were. Not as large as the boys' but still huge.

Testing the waters, I put weight on my paws. Expecting pain, I was pleasantly surprised when my legs held me up. The wolf in my head purred wildly, excited that her human half was okay. Wriggling a bit to let the boys know I was ok, I took a couple experimental steps. And was perfectly fine.

Walker yipped at me, and I turned, a wolfy grin no doubt showing my teeth. The wolf in me yipped back, using my body to make it happen.

"Shelby?"

Turning around, I found Seth standing behind us.

Caden gave a warning growl, but I whined at him. Though we didn't have human expressions, my wolf knew he was giving us a look. So we returned with our own. Huffing, he followed us to go stand in front of Seth. In wolf form, my eyes were on level with his chin, which was awesome. In human form, the top of my head barely reached his shoulder.

Seth swallowed hard as he reached out a hand. I lowered my head and my ears, allowing him access.

"God, you're beautiful, baby. Brayden is safe. He's with Jake and Nessie."

With Brayden's name, an image of him ran over my mind, and the she-wolf recognized him as her cub. It was odd that she thought "cub" and Caden said "pup". She leaned our head into his touch.

Stepping forward, I nuzzled his neck and shoulder, rubbing the side of my face against his skin. The wolf wanted our scent on him. He'd already done his marking. Now it was our turn.

Another yip came from behind me. Caden was raising his hackles but not growling. It was a warning. She didn't like it, but she knew why. He was worried we'd attack Seth. It would never happen, but Caden was the alpha male here, so she felt the need to obey him. She was new to being free and caution was best when it came to her mate.

One last look at Seth, a nose press to his forehead, and I forced the massive wolf body away from him to follow Caden and Walker into the woods. As other wolves joined us, her presence pushed mine to the side. She wanted to run, to feel the rush of the hunt, to feed.

She wasn't as wild as I'd thought she was. Right now, she was more playful, happy to be free of such a small human body.

As the other half of me, her joy touched me.

And I allowed myself to sink back into the shadows of our mind to let her hunt and enjoy herself before she had to be stuffed back into my human body.

**JPOV**

Seth stumbled back over to us about fifteen minutes later. The expression on his face said he'd just seen something that he really couldn't seem to process. Ness and I shared a look as he plopped down on her other side. Brayden was laying on her legs much like he had on Shelby. She was holding his little hands and playing with him.

"Seth? You okay, man?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "I...I'm good."

"What happened?"

"She shifted."

"Oh, wow," Ness whispered.

Seth nodded. "She was gorgeous. Tall, white and black, and sleek. She even knew me. Didn't Caden say that awareness upon first shifting was a sign of dominance?"

Ness nodded. "Yup. But he also already knew she was dominant because of Brayden. When she was pregnant with him."

He looked over at his son. "Right. I forgot about that."

Reaching into the cooler beside me, I grabbed a can and tossed it to Seth. "Have a beer, man. I think you're in shock."

He looked at it and shook his head. "No, I need to keep Brayden."

"Seth, Ness and I can take care of him. You need to calm your nerves. One beer isn't going to affect you anyway. You deserve a break."

"He's right, Seth." Leah sat down in front of us, crossing her legs. "Enjoy it."

Seth popped the can and sighed with a nod. "You guys are right. My life is weird."

We all laughed as he took a swig that sucked down half the can.

"But also a miracle," Ness said, playing with Brayden.

"That's true, too." He shook his head. "It's so hard to believe that I'm a father. That that little boy is my son. That it's not just me anymore. That I'm now responsible for this...this tiny little...creature, creation. That I _made_ that."

Leah reached forward and patted his knee. "Well, baby brother, I have to say that you do make one cute kid. I can believe you made him. Just seeing you with him tells me- hell, tells everyone-that you love him, and he's your son. He's the one thing, other than Shelby and clearly Jacob, that you would give your life for without a second thought. You're a wonderful father, Seth. You fought death itself to get back to him. That's pretty impressive."

"Thanks, sis. I'd give my life for you, too."

"Alright," I said. "As much as I love that you two get along now, enough with the giving up life crap." He pointed at Seth. "That's not happening again. I swore to your mate."

"And yet you're still going to let her fight," Seth sneered.

"Okay, okay," Ness said. "Enough." She looked at Seth. "She's fighting if she sees fit. You can't complain that she hasn't shifted. Now get over it, Seth. I don't want Brayden to lose his mother, either, but nothing we can do or say will stop her. We both know that. You know the woman you mated. Now accept her."

When Brayden started to get fussy, I noticed goosebumps on his arms. I motioned to Ness to hand him over. "He's cold. My body heat will warm him up faster than a blanket."

She handed him over while Seth brooded, still nursing his can.

A shadow fell over us as I laid Brayden on my chest. He calmed as he buried his face in my neck.

"Hey, guys," Embry said.

"Hey. What's up?"

He hugged Tricia to his side. "It's getting late and I have the first patrol shift tomorrow morning. We're gonna head out."

I held out my fist for him to bump. "Alright. Glad you came out. It was fun."

"It was," he agreed. "I'm glad you're bringing these back. I think it'll help the other packs."

"That's why I did it. You two have a good night."

"You, too," Tricia said. "It was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thanks for the food."

"Not a problem. You're family now. And our family likes to eat."

She laughed. "Well, goodnight."

"Night," we all called.

"Oh," she stopped. "How's Shelby? I saw Walker and Caden help her into the woods."

Nessie smiled up at her. "She's good. She shifted. But she's in good hands."

Tricia nodded. "Yeah. They're good guys. See you guys later." She waved as they walked away.

"Hey, Embry!" I yelled when they were almost out of the clearing. Several others stopped to stare at us. When he turned to me, I said, "When are you gonna put a ring on it?!"

He rolled his eyes while Tricia laughed behind her hand. "You sound like her mother."

I laughed. "That's why I said it. And I'm curious."

He glared at me. "You'll know the answer when you _see_ a ring on it."

I almost flipped him off, but I checked myself. Instead, I said, "Touche, my friend. Touche."

**EmbryPOV**

I was tired and stuffed, ready to roll into bed. I hopped into the shower, though to get the smoke smell off me. Tricia said she was going to unpack a little more and get ready for bed.

When I came out, a towel around my waist, I immediately knew she'd been lying.

On the bed naked, she stretched that lean body, arms above her head, grinning at me sexily. There was a plate on the nightstand with picked off pieces of pizza. The picked off meat? Spread out on her body.

My woman and food. My two favorite things on this planet. Instantly, I was hard as steel under the towel.

The meats from the pizza were strewn over her body, dotted here and there. Pepperonis covered her pert little nipples and formed a triangle over that favorite bit of flesh at the apex of her thighs.

"Well," I sighed. "There goes my shower." As I spoke, I unwrapped the towel and climbed up on the bed.

"I could always eat these myself and we can go to bed." A sexy little pout tugged at her lips.

I growled. "Don't even think about it."

Leaning over her, I kept eye contact as I swirled my tongue around one of the pepperonis on her breast. She watched me with heated eyes, chest moving with her heavy breaths. Her skin tasted like the meat, but also like her. Strangely enough, she tasted like coffee but without the bitterness. Coffee with sweet cream mixed with the tanginess of the meat. With my tongue, I lifted the slice and popped it into my mouth. Closing my eyes, I savored the taste before swallowing it and leaning back down to lick the grease from her pearled nipple.

She groaned. "You have the most sinful tongue. I swear."

Chuckling, I reached down, slid a finger up the slit of her entrance, barely a touch. She groaned again, undulating her hips for more pressure. Instead, I grabbed one of the other slices of meat resting above that slit and tossed it into my mouth, too, licking my fingers. She tasted of coffee everywhere.

She opened her eyes and narrowed her eyes as she saw me chewing. "Oh you cruel, evil man."

To end both of our suffering, I made quick work off all the meat. Once that was gone, I licked her skin clean. And then I settled between her legs, face even with all those secret folds.

"You know, I think I need to pay you back for your...attentions earlier."

She bit that bottom lip and I growled, wrapping my arms around her thighs, spreading her legs. Meeting her eyes over her body, I slowly slid my tongue up that slit. She sighed and moaned at the same time. I closed my eyes and savored the taste. Coffee and cream.

And like a cat with its cream, I lapped at her. Sucking her, licking her. Gently biting her quickly moistening folds. Her fingers speared my hair, pulling and pushing at the same time. I had to swallow all the sweet honey her body released for me, slipping it down my throat. I would never get enough of tasting her.

Her stomach clenched, chest heaving. She was so close. Just one more drop.

Thrusting my tongue inside her was that last drop of the full cup. Her fingers clenched, nails scraping through my scalp. She let out a hoarse yell. More of that honey flooded my mouth, coating my lips, slicking up my tongue. Those luscious hips bucked against my face, her inner walls clenching around my tongue.

I gripped her hips while she orgasmed around me. When she couldn't buck her hips, her thighs came up to grip my head, squeezing hard.

And then the spasms stopped. Her legs dropped out to fall spread against the mattress.

Her eyes were closed, lids fluttering as she breathed heavily. Sinking into the mattress, she massaged her fingers into my hair languidly.

"Nice...payback," she said through a heavy breath.

Chuckling, I crawled up her body, licking my lips, cleaning her pleasure from them. "Who said I was done?"

Moaning, her back arched off the bed as I laid my lower body down on top of her, my erection pressing into the spot I'd just moistened up. Her body convulsed under me with the pressure. She was sensitive on that bundle of nerves.

Leaning down, I licked a line up the column of her neck. Stopping at her ear, I said, "I want your nails in my back. All over me."

As if it were a reflex to obey me, she put her nails into my back on either side of my spine. Not deep but with a little pressure.

Until I positioned myself and thrust into her in one smooth motion.

Those nails sank in deep, breaking skin. The sweet sting was pure heaven. A lot of guys didn't like things like that, but the males of the pack loved it when our females were so lost in pleasure that they couldn't help it. It was a mark of satisfaction, of good sex.

"That's it," I gritted out.

"So good," she breathed as I swung my hips. "Too good."

"Let me feel it."

Sinking in deep to my balls, hitting the end of her, those nails ripped down my skin to my ribs. Reaching down, I gripped the backs of her knees and lifted her legs up and out, scooting up onto my knees, sitting on my heels. The angle wasn't as deep, but it hit her just right because her body twitched again, almost convulsing around me. At this angle, I could look down and watch as I slid in and out of her. It was surprisingly erotic as hell to watch myself slide out slicked with that same honey I'd swallowed earlier.

Since she couldn't grab onto me, she reached up and gripped the headboard, which was banging against the wall.

"Oh, god, Embry. Right there," she groaned, almost a whine.

Though my thrusts were shallow, I toned them down again, barely brushing her with the head on the inside. Turning her head, she gripped the pillow with one hand and bit it, moaning into in one long breath. Keeping them shallow, I sped up the thrusts, flicking over that spot over and over. Shockingly, I was just as affected. The head of my shaft was the most sensitive part of me, and I was as close to orgasm as she was. But I wanted to finish deep inside her, to feel those walls milk me like they had my tongue.

"So close, Embry."

"Tell me when." My voice was so guttural it hurt even my ears, like I'd swallowed gravel.

Once her heavy breaths were accompanied with sounds, I knew she was almost there. So thrust deeply into her, spreading my knees wider on the mattress and hit the end of her. The base of me hit that sweet spot and she exploded, letting go of the pillow to rake her nails down my thighs. Instead of a hoarse yell, this orgasm was laced with a ragged scream. If I didn't feel her walls milking me, her hips grinding against me, I'd have said I'd hurt her.

But she definitely wasn't trying to get away from me. The moment her body touched my sac, I exploded. Back tightening painfully, stomach clenching, I gripped her knees harder and pulsed into her, giving her deep thrusts as I did, burrowing into her, burying myself in her heat.

Eventually, I was so wrung out that my body twitched much like hers had. Letting go of her legs, I slumped over her body, hands sinking into the mattress. My eyes weren't focusing and my chest heaved, lungs unable to catch a deep breath.

Blood was seeping down my thighs and sides, slicking up my skin. The cuts hurt when the sweat hit them, but damn had it been worth it.

Small hands tugged at my arms. "Down. Before you hurt yourself."

"I'm bleeding."

"You told me to," she said anxiously.

Smiling, I reached up to get the sweaty strands of hair off her forehead. "Yes, I did. And I love it. I just don't want to get it all over the sheets."

"Oh." She visibly relaxed. "I can get it out tomorrow with some peroxide."

"You sure?"

She nodded, yanking weakly on my arm. "Now down."

Suddenly weak, my arms gave. Falling toward the mattress, I managed to land beside her, avoiding crushing her.

Reaching over, she patted my chest. "I think tonight you played an awfully good devil. That was…that was...holy shit."

Chuckling, I rolled onto my back. "That was a pretty spectacular payback."

She laughed as she rolled onto her side. "You are the king of payback. I'll have to remember that."

I reached down to gently grab her thigh, lifting it up to rest over mine. No doubt she'd have bruises tomorrow behind her knees.

"At least we worked off the food," she said, cuddling into my side, no doubt smearing blood on her perfect skin.

"Are you kidding?" I asked, leaning back to look in her eyes. "You fed me _and_ fucked me at the same time."

Instead of being offended by my language, she took it in stride with a smile. "Correction: you did the fucking. I just really enjoyed the ride."

Tracing her puffy lips, I said, "I love it when you use foul language."

"Mmm," she licked my finger erotically. "Then you should see me when I'm pissed."

I chuckled just imagining it. "As long as I'm not the recipient of that anger, I think I would enjoy a ringside seat."

"I don't think you could ever piss me off that bad. Walker did...once. He hasn't done it since."

"Mmm, wish I could have seen that."

She squeezed me. "Maybe someday someone might just give me a reason."

Leaning down, I kissed her lips. "I'll be there."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," she whispered. "Now time to get some sleep. You have to be up early tomorrow."

"I really don't think I'm going to have issues doing that. I'm already halfway out."

Reaching up, she used her fingers to gently close my eyelids. "Go. I'll set the clocks."

Now it was my turn to obey her. Pleasantly, thoroughly well-used, I floated off into a sleep equivalent to that of hibernation with my woman at my side.

* * *

**I know I keep ending with Embry and Tricia and a lemon, but seriously. These two are smokin'! And Embry? Phew. So anywhozzle, reviews and PMs are always welcome. Go for it! Love you! xoxoxoxoxo**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! Sorry for a delay. I've been stuck with the flu for the past couple days. But! I am predicting maybe 2-4 more chapters for this story before I start working on the next set. Remember, those are the kids! This is the last installment for Ness and Jake. But they will be very prominent in the others, so they won't disappear on us. I love them too much.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**JPOV**

At about one in the morning, Ness and I finally made it back home. Cricket and Trey had stayed down at the big Cullen house with Alice and Jasper.

"I cannot believe that Adam and Derek imprinted...on the same guy. That is...weird," Ness said as she flopped down on the bed.

"Yeah," I agreed, slipping out of my shirt. "I've never heard of anything like that happening. But I'm happy for them. They've been so worried to even leave their house. Now, they know why they didn't imprint on each other."

She nodded, her fingers drumming her flat stomach. "At least it wasn't a Leah, Sam, Emily situation."

"That's a relief, too. They can all be together."

She turned her head to look at me. "You think Calahan will allow it? The wolf-Rhett?-_is_ one of his wolves. Christa told me that he'd questioned Walker letting Bianca and Angelica be together. Three_ men_ together is a little more taboo than women. Which I still don't understand why."

Chuckling, I knew why, but Ness wouldn't understand. Society had a certain image of gay men, not expecting them to be super masculine like Derek and Adam. If people didn't already know they were gay, it wasn't unusual for women to hit on them. Because they didn't act, talk, or dress a certain way, everyone assumed they were straight. The point was, if a man was gay, he was no longer seen as a man by society. He was seen as a completely different entity. Which wasn't right at all. I agreed with Nessie. Everyone should be allowed to love who they wanted. I had always been taught to treat others the way I wanted to be treated. And I sure as shit wouldn't want someone(society) to tell me who I could and could not love, let alone be with.

Sitting on her side of the bed, I stroked her hair behind her ear. "I think it should be taken slowly. Calahan seems to want to progress his pack, which is good. But just like we need to be submersed and educated about their ways slowly, he needs to learn and stick his toes in the water slowly. But I think it will happen for them. They imprinted. I think it's supposed to happen, and therefore, I think it will help Calahan see what he needs to."

Sighing, she rolled over, her body pressed the length of my legs, my thigh her pillow.

"I sure hope you're right. Those boys deserve to he happy, to live in relief."

"They do."

She looked up at me. "You okay?"

I stroked her hair. "I'm worried."

"About?"

"A lot of things. But for one, Seth. He seems...more aggressive than he was before."

She stroked my leg. "Jake, he did die. As much as it hurts to say that, he did. It's not surprising that he's even more protective of his family."

I shook my head. "It's not that. That I actually understand. It's his thoughts when he's phased out. They're dark, violent. And, Ness, he drank a beer tonight. When was the last time you ever saw him drink?"

"Ummm…"

"Exactly. He's never touched alcohol in his life. I've known him all his life. Every now and then I toss one back. You know that. But Seth? No, never. Even before Brayden was in the picture, before Shelby. Not one drop. And he chugged that can like it was fucking water."

"What do you think brought that on?"

Leaning my head back on the beadboard, I said, "The mixing of blood. I think the infection in Shelby's blood is affecting him."

"You think he'll start drinking?"

When I'd first heard that Seth had been brought back because of the disease, I'd been happy that he was back, but wary that the infection would interfere with his genes. Unease had settled in my heart when he'd snapped at Shelby the other day at the table while Brayden had been out of the room. He'd never been that controlling with her before, always letting her do what she felt was right even if he didn't agree. He'd always just wanted her happy.

"I don't think it's the alcohol that concerns me. I'm having Patrick and Alana stick to him like glue. When he phases, they phase. I want to know what he thinks. Thankfully, Charlie and Sue took Brayden tonight. Luckily, Seth had agreed."

Her teeth found her bottom lip and worried at it.

"What?" I asked.

"How is Shelby going to react to this? She's probably stoked that she finally shifted, but when she wakes up, Brayden won't be at home and Seth will have the scent of alcohol on him. I was surprised by the beer, too, unfortunately."

"We just need to watch him. Maybe a talk with Caden, an intervention if needed. Maybe he'll just go back to normal after this fight is over and Shelby survives. Nerves and fear can cause us all to do weird things. And like you said, he knows what it's like to die. He just doesn't want that for Shelby."

Moving on the bed, she stopped when she was perpendicular to me, her head still in my lap, hands back on her tummy. "Then we should just watch him for now, and then wait until it's all over. Seth is a father. Having Shelby fight would hurt his pride in that he wants to protect her. Not only his mate, but the mother of his child. He knows how hard it is to live without a parent as a young person. Harry died when he was a teenager. That's a rough time, especially with the whole phasing thing happening to him at the same time."

"Maybe I'm just stupid for expecting him to be the same."

"No, baby. Not stupid. But what else is bothering you? You said several things."

Bringing this up would probably cause a fight, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't lie to her.

"You fighting."

She looked at me sharply.

"Oh, come on, Ness. You had to know that. I put on a brave face to Seth yesterday, but to my soul, it scares the shit out of me." I swallowed hard, trying to swallow the fear as well. "If plans go the way we want, I'll be busy with Tristan. And you? Against Jane? Nessie, that terrifies me."

Reaching up, she ran her fingers over my jaw and then my lips. "Oh, baby. She can't get past my mental wall."

Gripping her wrist, I kissed her palm. "Maybe a year ago. But, Ness, you haven't been meditating, keeping that wall strong. There's no telling how weak it's gotten." Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm not saying you're weak. I'm saying that something that powerful needs to be used all the time. And from me demanding that you don't, you haven't used it in a while. I am terrified that, if something happens to you, that it's my fault. That I caused you to be hurt because I was selfish."

While I choked up, Ness sat up and straddling my waist. Gripping my face, she moved in close.

"Jacob, if anything happens to me, it will be _my_ fault. You're right, I should have been meditating, building that wall up. Instead, I grew comfortable and let go of my responsibilities to you and to myself. Don't blame yourself."

Her lips pressed to mine in a gentle kiss. "I love you," she whispered. "I can take on Jane. I know I can. It won't be much time, but I'll start up the meditations again tomorrow. I promise. We have a week and half. According to Aunt Alice they come next Wednesday. We'll buckle down. Train with my uncles and I will meditate. We'll get as prepared as we can."

She studied my face, thumbs wiping away the tears that had slipped.

"I won't give up, Jake. I can't. Our future is out there. We will have a family, and they will be safe from the Volturi. You can't give up on me. I need you to believe in us; believe, like I do, that fate put us in this position for a reason. The Volturi have tormented this family for too long. It ends here. With us."

With that kind of confidence and bravery floating from her, there was no way I could let her think that she was going into this alone.

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay, baby. Okay. I'm with you. Always. You're right. This has to end."

"We're stronger than them. We are. That land where we're going to meet the Volturi like last time is our turf. They don't know it the way we do. Scents on the patrol shifts proved that neither Jane nor the wolves had been there. She didn't plan on a fight, a meeting up with Aro. We have home field advantage. I say, we go out there and study it more before they get here. It really wouldn't hurt."

She was gaining more and more confidence as she spoke. And it wasn't just to pacify me. She truly believed in what she was saying.

My woman wasn't running scared.

And neither would I.

**Monday night...**

**ShelbyPOV**

The next morning, or whatever time it was, I woke up in my bed, wrapped in a strange blanket, my body on fire, and Seth's back sitting up on the edge of the bed.

My throat was so raw when I tried to talk that a sad rasp was all that came out. Seth heard it, though, and turned around. His eyes were red-rimmed, face splotchy. Something had happened while I'd been out.

He laid out beside me, hand shakily stroking my face. But even that gentle contact felt like sandpaper on my skin, and I flinched. He pulled his hand away.

"It's okay. Walker and Caden brought you back home."

Moving around inch by inch, I noticed that Brayden wasn't in the room. The she-wolf inside me, content though she was in my body, also took notice and started to panic.

The panic must have show in my eyes, because Seth quickly said, "Shh, shh, shh. It's ok. Brayden's with Charlie and my mom. He's safe. You didn't hurt him. Or me."

The she-wolf calmed a bit, but not enough. If she didn't calm down, she'd force me to shift again and find our cub. Cubs that young shouldn't be away from their mother for long, and she knew we'd been out for a while.

Seth scooted off the bed quickly. "Okay, okay. I'll call Mom and have him brought here. Just stay calm, okay, baby."

He was on the phone a moment later. "Yes, Mom, I understand. But she needs to see him. The wolf will take over again, and I have a feeling she'll find her son. Get. Him. Here. Now."

Agitated, the wolf stretched my body. She didn't understand what Seth was saying. All she knew was that our cub wasn't here with us. He was away from us and she didn't like it.

"Easy, Shelby. He's on his way. Just rest."

Instead of focusing on the panic, I tried to push the wolf down, soothing her the way Seth was soothing me. How long_ had_ I been out?

Swallowing past the rasp, I asked, "How long…"

"Have you been out? It's Monday."

The wolf and I both just about went ape-shit. Two days. Two whole days I'd been out.

Seth went into the bathroom to fill up a glass with water. I managed through the pain to find the strength to sit up and lean against the headboard. I'd been burrito-ed into a blanket and was still wrapped tight, so I had to wiggle up. Seth sat on the bed, handing me the glass. The water hurt going down at first, but eventually I got the hang of it. I hurt in places that I didn't even know _could_ hurt.

"Thank you," I said, handing him the glass.

Again, he reached out to stroke my hair, but remembered that I'd flinched.

"No, touch me. Please. It'll calm us down."

As softly as he could, he rested his hand on my cheek.

"Why is Brayden with your mom?"

He cleared his throat. "I, uh, had a beer or two at the bonfire. Figured it was better for him."

I frowned, which hurt. "You don't drink."

"I know," he said, rubbing his other hand over his face. "I don't know what it was. I just felt so...weird. Shelby, I am so sorry."

"For what?" I whispered, the rasp coming back.

Seth handed me the glass again. "Everything. For snapping at you the other day. If I were you, I'd want to kill the bitch, too. Hell, I do want her dead. She killed Jordan, nearly killed you. I just...that day, I felt so angry, so possessive. And then for Saturday. The drinking. I spent yesterday puking my guts up. It was revolting. The alcohol also made the anger worse. I didn't like feeling like that. So I sent Brayden with my mom and Charlie. Caden and Walker carried you home early yesterday morning. Caden said you'd probably be out for a few days, that it's usual for newly shifted wolves." He shoved a hand through his hair, like there was more he wanted to say.

"What is it?" I asked.

He swallowed hard. "I felt it, Shelby. The pull of the full moon. For the first time in my life, I felt it. I wanted to phase and be with you, but Caden had talked to me before Saturday. He asked me all these questions about how I was feeling. And then he asked that when the next full moon came if I could try not to phase. He explained that if another female got too close to me, it would be dangerous because you'd be unpredictable and certain actions could start discord in the new packs. He didn't want you to kill anybody for getting too close to me. Dominant females can be vicious about their mates, especially if monogamous."

"Why...did you...feel it?"

"Your blood. The infection. It mixed with my blood, not just healing me. But affecting me. I'm so sorry."

Closing my eyes, I reached up to grip his wrist. "Don't be sorry." It was there in his eyes, and I realized what he was scared of. "You're not turning into a monster. You're still the same man I mated, the same man who fathered my son."

"What if you're wrong?" he whispered.

"I'm not. I know you."

From then until the time our doorbell rang ten minutes later, we just stared at each other. We'd been wondering what the effects of my blood would be once he healed. His wolf was now infected with a disease. There was no telling how it would react. But I wouldn't let him turn into a monster. The good in him would always win. I firmly believed that.

"Seth?"

He had to clear his throat before answering. "Down here, Mom!"

A very unhappy squeal preceded Sue down the stairs. And then they were in sight. Brayden was not a happy camper. One of the only times I'd seen him this upset. The she-wolf whimpered in my head as her cub continued to scream and cry. The urge to touch him, comfort him, made my bones ache.

Sue rushed to my side of the bed as I reached for him.

"Easy, Mom. She's hurting."

Gently, Sue laid Brayden on my chest, his head over my heart. Instantly, he calmed to just whimpers. The she-wolf purred as his skin made contact with mine. Even my bodily pain had subsided a bit, enough that holding him, rubbing his back was bearable. Every part of me was now content.

"Thank you, Sue," I whispered.

"What's going on?"

Charlie had just come down the stairs. He was standing with his hands on his hips, watching me.

"I shifted Saturday night."

"What?" Sue gasped.

Seth nodded, stroking my hair. "Walker and Caden took care of her, but the shifting process is different for their kind of wolf. All her bones broke, reknit, broke again, and reknit. She's been out since early yesterday. When she woke up a little bit ago, the wolf in her panicked, aware Brayden wasn't here. Their wolves are different than ours in that they are different entities sharing the same body. Our wolves are us in wolf form. Their wolves are not. It's a completely different awareness."

"Oh, wow," Sue whispered. "Sounds...terrifying."

I pressed lips to Brayden's forehead. "It was. I was told she'd be out of control, vicious. But she wasn't. She was just happy to be able to stretch her legs. It's probably not like that with everyone, but I embraced her. She's not my beast and I don't call her 'it' the way Caden does. She's just a trapped animal."

Sue and Seth exchanged a sad look.

Brayden snuggled down my chest, mouth searching.

Sue clapped her hands. "We've been feeding him formula, but he doesn't drink it all." Getting to her feet, she went to stand with Charlie. "That's our que to leave, hun. Let's give them some family time."

Once they were up the stairs, Seth seeing them out, I positioned Brayden for a feeding. He latched on quickly and fed with the same fervor he had just after his birth. His bright green eyes kept flicking up to meet mine. And he kept smiling up at me around my breast.

Brayden was almost done feeding when Seth came back down the stairs. His eyes were still haunted, but mine weren't. They were hungry for him. Even the wolf inside me purred erotically in my head. He was in a pair of torn up jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt, the arms pulled up to his elbows exposing toned forearms.

My libido shot through the roof. If Brayden hadn't been in my arms, I'd have clawed the clothes off Seth and had him inside me already. We still hadn't made love since Brayden's birth, and the wolf was so ready to blast the dry spell to pieces.

I moved Brayden so that I could burp him. Seth draped a towel over my shoulder.

"Thanks. What time is it?" I asked.

"Eight o'clock at night."

I met his gaze. "Good. After you put him down for bed, I want you to come back down here and get in bed with me." Seth had made one of the upstairs bedrooms a nursery as well, just in case we needed some personal time, and I was willing to let Brayden go. Now that I'd spent some time away from him, I knew I'd be okay from now on.

A moment of staring at me, he swallowed hard. Pushing a hand through his hair, he said, "Shelby, that's not really a good idea. I need to…"

"Listen to your mate. I need you."

After Brayden did his thing, I cleaned him up, kissed his cheeks, and held him out to his father. My eyebrows were raised, daring him to argue with me.

Sighing, he came over to take Brayden. At the stairs, he turned just his head to look over his shoulder. "I'll be back down in a minute."

"Good. And Seth?"

"Yeah?"

"I really love you. And I'm really glad you're back. We'll work through whatever is going on with you."

Without saying a word, he went upstairs.

I'd never seen him like this. And he'd always told me he loved me in return. Of course, I knew he still loved me. And he loved Brayden. But it still stung that he hadn't said it back. He didn't believe that he could be fixed. I was more concerned with if he believed he should have never been brought back. It happened for a reason and we would work through it, as a family.

Surprisingly, the wolf was completely okay with Seth taking Brayden away. He was in the arms of our mate, so he was perfectly safe. It was strange logic, but I wasn't going to fight it.

While he went up to change Brayden and put him to bed, I managed to get out of bed. In the bathroom, I cleaned up with a wet rag as well as I could and brushed my teeth.

"Shelby?"

After wiping my mouth, I went back into the bedroom. "Right here. Did he go down?"

His eyes tracing my body, he swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, Shelby, this really isn't a great idea. We should wait until we figure out what's going on with me."

Going up to him, I slid my hands under his shirt and over his skin. "I can tell you what's wrong, Seth." Raising my arms, I lifted his shirt, hinting that he should let take it off. When he sighed and lifted his arms, I knew I'd won. I slipped off his shirt and threw it to the floor. "You're stressed. You're worried. And your sense of pride is hurt because you want to be the one to fight for me. I get it, Seth. I really do." While I talked, I worked on his belt. "We just need some 'us' time, some family time. You, me, and Brayden. But for tonight, you and me."

He let me slide his jeans off. We hadn't slept naked together since before Brayden had been born. Once he'd kicked out of them, he took me in his arms. Being pressed skin to skin after all this time felt amazing. It was like I had been bone-deep freezing without realizing it. Now that we were like this, nothing between us, I felt the ice dissolving between us. Maybe that's what was wrong with him. He just didn't know how to explain it. He'd felt the chill that separated us, and didn't know how to deal with it. Maybe this was what we needed, this closeness, the intimacy to remind us about the fire that had raged between us in the beginning.

Seth's sigh into my neck was shaky as our bodies pressed together. "I've missed you, Shelbs."

"I've missed you, too. You've been distant from me since you came back. Let's stop that, okay?"

He choked out a chuckle. "I'll see what I can do."

"Well, I know how you can start."

He pulled back to stare at me. "Are you sure?"

Frustrated, I gripped his shoulders and shook him. "Seth, you are not going to hurt me in any way. You've just been overly moody lately, which really doesn't surprise me with all the stress and stuff. Stop thinking that just because you get grumpy that means you're going to hurt me. You won't. I want you. My wolf wants you."

At that, he looked shocked. "Really?"

I nodded. "She wants her mate, our mate. And that's you. The moment you came back downstairs from escorting your mom and Charlie out, she flared up, heated up. She's missed you, too. And we're both ready to have you again."

Cupping my face, he bent down to kiss me. Gently, at first, and turned deeper, his tongue snaking out to caress my lips asking for entry. Without a second thought, I opened to him. From there, the gentleness slipped, replaced by a hunger that proved he needed me as badly as I needed him. Our tongues danced and slipped around each other, teeth scraping and nipping our lips. The taste of blood sang on my tongue. One or both of us had gotten nicked, and neither of us seemed to care.

Something hit the backs of my legs and I realized that he'd backed us up to the bed. I hadn't even realized we'd been moving. Letting my knees collapse, I took him with me as I went down. While one hand supported his upper body off me, he used the other hand to stroke down my body. This was also the first time he'd touched me like this because he hadn't wanted to start something we couldn't finish. Well, now we were going to finish it.

His breathing was already ragged, and he wasn't even inside me yet. "I didn't realize how badly I need you."

I gripped his neck. "Then take me. I need you, too. Badly."

Growling, he hefted one of my legs up and over his hip, and then thrust into me. We both cried out at the invasion. Seth wasn't small and I was seriously tight even though I'd popped out a baby a month ago. At least I was wet from the anticipation of having him, and the glide was much smoother. His girth stretched me satisfactorily.

His breathing was labored even more as he thrust slowly at first, trying to make more room for himself inside me, even rotating his hips in a circular motion. Every single inch of his shaft rubbed against my inner walls, the friction making me press my head back into the mattress, body arching into him.

Seth must have felt good about the room he'd made because he started to pound into me.

I clung to him as he pushed us further up on the bed. "Yes, Seth. Give me everything."

"Don't want to hurt you," he gritted out.

"Hurt me, bruise me. Love me, Seth. Please."

My begging must have done it for him because he did what I asked. Fisting my hair, arching my neck, he also gripped my thigh, no doubt bruising me, and gave me everything his body had to give. Before I'd been infected, he'd held back, never fully letting himself go. Now? All the power he possessed was used to buck into me. With every thrust, that coldness inside me thawed more and more until a ray of his heat finally sank through, piercing me.

It had been so long for both of us that I knew we wouldn't last much longer. Slow was just going to have to wait. Ever since the first time we'd made love, we hadn't gone even two days without doing it again, let alone more than a month.

"Shelby," he panted.

"I know. Just come."

Our bodies were taut, both curled up tight, straining for that release. I could tell he was ready, but holding back. Not wanting him to hurt himself, I reached a hand down between us to stroke him on his way out and in.

He hissed.

And spilled over.

With a roar, he came hard and fast.

And I followed him over the edge of that cliff as he released inside me. Sinking nails into his back, I let out a yell as he bit my neck and continued to pulse inside me. I came so hard that bright white stars flashed behind my eyelids.

And there it was. As his scent filled my nose, sinking deep into my lungs, bringing back memories, I felt that connection with him strengthen. It was as if, with his death, part of our connection, except for the imprint, had gotten severed. I hadn't noticed before. But now that I felt this spark, I realized how far apart we'd really been.

When it was finished and we were spent, we just lay there, breathing hard, curled up in each other's arms.

"I'm gonna...sound like a...total guy for saying this," he panted, "but I feel better."

Laughing, I stroked his hair. "Don't feel bad for feeling like that. I feel better, too. Much better."

"Like something was broken but is better again?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

As he withdrew from me, making his way off the bed, he kissed a line down my body. I laughed when he got to my stomach because I was actually very ticklish there. He grinned, the first real grin I'd seen from him in a few days, and went for the bathroom on shaky legs.

He came back with a wet washcloth to wash both of us up. His touch was gentle and soothing, just as it had been. The washcloth was thrown over to where his clothes were, and then he tucked us into bed, his body cradling me. Again, this was the first time I had noticed that this touching hadn't happened in a while. Lately, we'd been back to back or just not touching each other. This was another notch that had slid back into place.

"I'm still scared, Shelbs." His hands rubbed up and down my back.

I stroked his neck and chest. "I know, 'll talk to Caden and Jacob, okay? Let them know what's going on."

He squeezed me to him. "Just don't leave me."

"Never," I said rather vehemently. Sitting up on my elbow, I gave him a very steady stare. "Seth, no matter what you go through, I will_ never_ leave you. And I would never even think to take Brayden away from you. You're his father. I will be here to help you through this. You've always been there for me. We're a family, and I am not going to let us fall apart." Reaching up, I traced his lips with my fingers. "You imprinted on me for a reason. Just as I'm your imprint, you're my true mate. I couldn't leave you if I tried."

His eyes studied me as they filled with tears. "God, I love you. Thank you for being Nessie's best friend and coming into my life."

Getting choked up myself, I wiped the tears away. "What can I say? I love her quirkiness. And her kindness."

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome."

"I guess that's where I learned to not give up on people. After freshman year and she disappeared, I worried over her even though she called every now and then. But I lived for those calls. And the letters she'd send without a return address. I never gave up, and I knew deep down that I'd see her again. And now, here we are. Her connection to Jacob gave me you. And in return, you gave me endless love and a beautiful son. You gave me a life, Seth. A good one. I owe it to you to help you through this. Besides, I was the one to bring you back."

He brushed the hair out of my face. "Baby, you didn't know. You had no idea that your blood would bring me back. You couldn't have known."

Now it was my turn to tear up, the drops spilling over before I could stop them. "I just wanted there to be a piece of me to burn with you."

His turn to wipe my tears away. "I know. But no matter what problems I'm having, I'm glad you did it. I'm glad you gave me a second chance to be here with you. To be able to watch Brayden grow."

Leaning up, he kissed me and the pressed my face into his neck. His fingers played through my hair as I stroked patterns on his chest. After all our activity, the talking, and the tears, I was dead tired.

"Oh, and one more thing before we pass out."

"What?"

"I really love you, too."

The rest of the tension in my body that I hadn't even known was there seeped out. Finally my body relaxed against his.

And for the moment, everything was back in place. We'd worry about the rest tomorrow.

**RPOV**

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

The alarm on my phone was going off, pulling me out of the meditation. Carlisle had told me that once I got good at it, I needed to set an alarm or anything that could grab my attention. Jacob had recorded his own voice telling me to wake up. It worked every time because it made me laugh.

Brick by brick, I disabled my mental wall, forcing myself to be slow. Eventually, my surroundings hit my senses. My butt was numb from sitting on the floor in front of the fire, which I could feel the heat caressing my skin. My nose was filled with cinnamon from the candle I'd lit. All the lights in the house were off. And the only sounds were the fire crackling and the soft sound of rain playing through my iPod dock.

Eventually, all my bricks were down and I took my last deep breath in. My spine finally decided it was tired of being straight, so I sort of slouched and stretched in different directions. I reached forward to silence my phone.

"You had no idea I was in here, did you?"

Jumping so bad my butt left the ground, I spun around, heart in my throat.

Jacob was sitting in the middle of the couch, arms stretched out over the back, legs crossed at the ankle. And he was wearing a very amused smile.

"Jacob Black! You scared the crap out of me!"

He tried to contain the grin, but it didn't happen. I was thankful for that because I'd missed the smile. For the past two days, he'd been spending a lot of time at the shop. When he wasn't there, we were mingling with the other packs. He and Xavier were spending a lot of time together. Jacob taught him about bikes and cars, even let him drive a little in empty parking lots. He really liked the kid. We even had him over for dinner the last two nights.

"I never knew you could concentrate so hard," he said.

"You should try it sometime," I said, crawling over to him and kneeling between his legs. I rested my elbows on his thighs and put my chin in my hands.

He shook his head. "Nah. I'll just watch you while you do it. Same thing."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

He leaned forward and kissed me. Then took my hand. "Come on. Get your shoes and a jacket on."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. Please?"

"Well, when you ask nicely..." I said, getting to my feet.

I slid into my sneakers and put on a heavy jacket. He took my hand and led me outside. His bike was still out. He pulled me straight to it.

"Jake, I've never ridden before."

"It's ok," he said as he got on. "Just put on the helmet, slide on behind me, and hold on."

Fear kind of made me hold back. "But this is your and Mom's thing."

He gave me a look. "Come on, baby. Your mom and I haven't ridden since she was human and your dad came back, which means years. Unless, of course, you're scared."

My jaw dropped. Okay, maybe I was scared, but he shouldn't have called it out like that.

"Bastard," I said taking the helmet from him. I fit it over my messy knot and then slid on behind him. Sliding down so that I cradled his ass, I wrapped my arms around his waist tightly. When he started the bike, I gripped his chest with my nails.

I felt him chuckle, and pinched him in retaliation. He flinched.

"Ready?"

I lifted a thumbs-up to him.

He slowly turned the bike around and went down the drive. When he got to the street, he took a right and increased the speed. The cold air licked at my cheeks around Jacob's shoulder. And despite that I'd worn my heaviest jacket, it wasn't enough to mask the cold the parts of my arms free of his heat. Eventually, I dared to open my eyes just a crack over his shoulder.

And was pleasantly surprised.

The world was beautiful at these speeds. Colors blurring together. Everything I knew seen in a different light. I laughed as he took us around bends and over hills. It was so gorgeous, and freeing. Now, I knew how Mom had felt. Exhilarated.

Too fast, the trip was over and Jacob was pulling onto a trail that led to the cliffs on First Beach, where we had our first date. When the bike was shut off, my body was still humming. Jacob hit the kickstand and left me there while he pulled something off the back. A blanket. After I took the helmet off, he draped the blanket over my shoulders.

"What are we doing out here? It's really late."

He held out his hand to me. "Just come with me."

I took his hand, using the other one to keep the blanket around me. When we got to the treeline, he stopped me to step behind me. And then covered my eyes. Well didn't this bring back memories.

"Remember this?" he whispered in my ear.

I grinned. "Of course I do. I just didn't expect you to remember."

He chuckled. "Well, you know what to do now."

Rolling my eyes under my lids, I stepped back onto his feet.

He walked me out, the breeze hitting me, before he stopped, no doubt at the edge of the cliff like last time. I put my hands over his.

"Okay, this time when you open your eyes, look up."

"Up?"

"Up."

"Okay."

"Ready?"

I nodded.

He laced his fingers with mine and pulled away, holding onto me so I wouldn't go over the cliff. When I opened my eyes, I did as he said and looked up.

And gasped.

The sky was clear of clouds for the first time in a long time, and the stars were out, shining down brightly along with a waning moon. The light winked down, reflecting on the water below.

"Oh, Jacob," I gasped. "It's gorgeous."

"I thought you might like it," he whispered in my ear. "I saw them when I came out of work."

"You are utterly perfect," I said spinning around to wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his.

He chuckled. "Not perfect. I just know my wife."

"And that would mean you're perfect."

Laughing, he kissed me back. "You're perfect, too."

"Pfft, yeah right. I still haven't figured out what to get you for Christmas." And the moment I said that, I wish I hadn't. Admitting something like that made me feel like the worst wife ever.

Chuckling, he sat down, pulling me with him to sit me between his legs. Resting his chin on my shoulder, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the spot behind my ear.

"Baby, I don't need anything. I have you. And we have this time together. That's all I need or want."

"But still, I know you've gotten me something. I found the present on the mantle. Jacob, what kind of wife am I that I can't even figure out what to get my husband?"

"Shhh," he whispered, moving the hair that had fallen out of my bun away from my neck, kissing the spot. "You're the perfect wife. You gave me everything when you took my last name. Actually, when you accepted me as your mate, long before we got married."

"Jacob-"

"Hush. Stop it. If it means that much to you, you'll figure it out. Now shut up and watch the stars."

Instead of being offended, I just leaned back into him harder and laughed. "Oh, how I love you."

He kissed my temple. "That's all I need."

"Jerk."

His chest rumbled against my back.

We stayed out there all night, just watching the stars. And as the sky lightened, the sunrise just before the clouds moved in. It, like the stars and the moon, was beautiful.

I was nearly asleep by full sunrise. Jacob lifted me into his arms.

"Blake, I know you're out there."

Cuddled into Jake's chest, I only heard the big man come out of the woods.

"Good, you brought clothes. You know how to ride a bike?"

"Yes," was the deep response.

"I left the keys in it. Take the bike back to the house. Ness won't be able to hold onto me if I drive."

"But what about-"

"Sadie is in the woods, too. She can escort us home. I'm not leaving my bike out here to rust."

"Yes, Jacob."

And that was the last I heard as the bike started up and Jake met up with Sadie.

**Later Tuesday morning…**

**RPOV**

A week and a day.

That was how long we had until Aro showed up. And I still wasn't freaking out. Instead, I was sitting at my dining room table across from Seth and Shelby. Caden and Walker had been called, too. Leah and Christa had come with their men. It was good to see Leah and Caden together in public. They usually tried to stay away from each other for fear of causing a scene that none of us wanted to see. Even Carlisle was here as per Seth's request.

Seth had called us all for a meeting. Sue had come to pick up Brayden. Caden had worried about Shelby's reaction, but she was okay, even handed him off herself.

Jacob placed a mug of hot cocoa in front of me.

"Thanks."

He smiled at me, but said, "So, Seth, what's going on?"

He hesitated at first, as if he were still trying to decide what to say. But Shelby took his hand and smiled encouragingly.

He cleared his throat. "I haven't been completely honest with you guys about how I'm doing. And I know the pack has been able to see my thoughts when I phase."

"What weren't you honest about?" Caden asked as nicely as he could.

"I feel...different."

"Tell them what you told me. All of it. They can't help you otherwise," Shelby said gently.

Squeezing her hand, he kissed her temple. "Okay. I feel dark, like my thoughts. The other night, I did feel the full moon and it drove me crazy. I drank beer. I've never touched alcohol in my life. And these thoughts. Dark, violent. I've been twitchy, scared to be near my own son, not wanting to hurt Shelby. I need some help, guys. I don't want to hurt my family."

Carlisle stepped away from the wall. "When two bloods mix, it's perfectly logical for some side effects. In this case, it would make sense that you would exhibit some personality traits from both types of wolf."

"What kind of thoughts?" Caden asked.

Seth cleared his throat as if this were the part he was most uncomfortable with. "Hunting, ripping. Our kind of wolf doesn't have to hunt. There is no bloodlust. No hunger for meat." Now he choked up. "I've woken up, drenched in sweat after dreaming about...attacking my own son." The last was whispered.

Apparently, Shelby didn't know that last part. Her lips trembled.

I reached across the table to put my hand over theirs.

"It's ok, Seth. You haven't done these things. And you can't control your dreams. They don't make you a monster."

"Yeah, but I feel like I'm going crazy. It's not as bad after Shelby and I...were intimate last night. It was like a connection had been lost between us, we hadn't been as close, and now we are."

"Well, maybe Seth should phase out when Shelby shifts," Leah said. "Caden's less...cranky when I phase with him."

"Thanks, luv," Caden said dryly. "But she is right." He sat down next to Seth. "It sounds like you're acting like a freshly infected male. When I was first infected, I lived with my parents. I was seventeen. I had a younger brother. Before I knew what had happened to me, I'd had horrible nightmares of hurting him and my parents."

"What happened?" Seth asked.

"I found a pack that could teach me. It took some time, but in the end...Nessie is right. You're not a monster. But I'm glad you came to us. Now we can all be more accepting of what you're going through. Walker and I will work with you. In the meantime, phasing with Shelby might be a good idea. She has more control than I thought. I'm sure some family will be happy to watch your son."

Jacob clapped a hand on his back. "Seth, we won't leave you alone to deal with this. It's good you told us. Ness and I had actually talked about it. We were really worried."

"Would you watch Brayden on the full moons? You and Nessie? I'd ask Caden and Leah but," he looked at them, "I want you guys to be with us those nights."

"Absolutely," Leah said, rubbing her brother's shoulders. "Whatever you need."

"Of course we'll watch him. More than happy to help."

A phone rang somewhere and Carlisle excused himself.

Seth put his other hand over mine. "Thank you, Nessie. All of you. I was feeling so lost."

"That's what a pack does, man," Jacob said. "We always take care of our own."

Carlisle came back into the room.

"What is it, Grampa?"

He smiled at me, but said, "Your father wants us back down of the house. He says we need to see something. Cricket and Trey need to stay up here though."

"Did he say why?"

He shook his head.

I sighed. "That's my father. Mysterious."

"Seth, why don't you stay here and talk more to Walker and Caden?" Jacob suggested. "We'll let you know what's going on when we get back."

He nodded as I got up to take my mug to the sink. I turned and found Shelby standing there. She wrapped her arms around me.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You and Jake are the best."

I hugged her tightly to me. "We'd never leave the two of you to deal with this alone. You're my best friends. Our best friends." Leaning back, I wiped the tears from her eyes. "You take care of him. Jake and I will be back later. If you need anything to eat, don't hesitate. We stocked the house for pack meetings."

"Thank you."

I cupped her cheek. "I love you, sweetie."

"Love you, too."

After kissing her forehead, I went for my coat and boots. Jacob and I took off down the drive. Sadie and Blake followed us while Patrick and Alana took their places.

When we made it down to the house, I knew immediately that something was off. Not sure how I knew that, but I did. Carlisle went in first. Me next and then Jacob. The house was quiet.

"Where is Edward?" Jacob asked.

"Upstairs. In the sitting room."

"That scent," Jacob said. "I've smelled it before."

Carlisle looked back with a smile. "You have. We have guests."

The moment we got upstairs, I moved around Carlisle to find two of my favorite vampires.

"Senna! Zafrina!"

The two Amazon women smiled as I rushed forward. They enveloped me in their arms. When I pulled back, I noticed two more figures in the corner.

"Benjamin, Tia." I went to hug them, too. "What...I don't understand. What are you guys doing here?"

Senna and Zafrina came to stand with the two Egyptian vampires.

"We heard you the Volturi was coming back. We felt it was a good idea to come back you up once more."

Jacob came up behind me to shake hands with Benjamin. "With all due respect, we're not looking for witnesses. There's going to be a scuffle this time, but not everyone will be involved."

Zafrina grinned. "No matter the outcome of this visit, there will be a need for witnesses to spread the word."

"Well, it's really awesome to see you again," I said.

"You've grown so much," Senna said. She took in a deep breath. "And mated."

Blushing, I stepped back into Jacob's body. "Yes. We married a little over a month ago."

"Congratulations," Tia said warmly. "We all received the invitations, and wished we could have come. Bad timing had befallen both groups."

"We understand," Jacob said. "And thank you."

"So," Benjamin said, going to sit on the couch. "When is this meeting supposed to happen?"

"Next week." Alice came in with a vase of lilies. "Wednesday to be precise."

Jacob sat down in the loveseat, taking me with him. The four of our guests asked questions. We answered. For a couple hours we went through everything that had been going on since the last time they'd been here. The years of peace and then the seemingly sudden attacks. Apparently, they'd been under attack as well, but in a different way. Aro must have suspected that we'd figure out why he'd targeted covens in the past: in order to acquire the gifted vampires into the Volturi. He'd had to send out groups of his soldiers to try to blindside the covens that had stood by us in the past in retaliation.

While talking with them, my resolve to end this strengthened. I was done running, done being afraid. Once we got home, I was going to ask Caden if there was another pack, one closer in the States that was on our side and could get here within the week. If so, that would be even more bodies on our side just in case a war did break out. I wasn't counting on it, but it was better to be prepared.

So far, Aunt Alice didn't see any of Aro's thoughts leading toward war. He simply wanted facts, evidence. And that he could only get if I let him, if I showed him.

I'd show him. After I did my own maneuvering of the chess board.

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**So? I know! I love the Amazons and the Egyptians. They're cool. But don't expect too much from them. I'm focusing solely on those who will fight in the coming chapters. The four visitors are strictly witnesses. And who could have guessed about Seth? Poor thing. Kinda caught me off guard, too. Anywhozzle. Love you guys! Please review! I love to know what you think! xoxoxoxoxo**


	26. Chapter 26

**Uh, guys! This is the beginning of the end! Chapter 26! I swear! The next chapter is the final smack down! I've already written it, so it will be ready for the update. I am so super excited about this. It was kind of intense to write.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**One Week Later…Tuesday.**

**JPOV**

All patrols were off. I'd already called Frank to let him know that neither I nor the other guys would be in for the next week or so, that something big was going down. I'd had the rez put on curfew once more.

Tomorrow was the big day. Ness and I had gathered the fighters. She'd said one on one.

I was fighting Tristan.

Nessie and Jane.

Shelby and Nyla.

Walker and Malik, if he was with Tristan's pack.

Caden and Caius, if we could swing that.

And Eric (Walker's wolf) and Gavin(the guard that helped Malik escape).

The one on one battles were picked. Everyone was spending time with those they loved just in case all hell broke loose. No doubt Alec would just let his sister die without interfering. And Aro would not like us manipulating his brother out from under him.

I constantly found Ness stuck in her own head. Every time I asked, she said she was going over what she was going to say to Aro, how she was going to spin the web in order to get what we wanted. She'd meditated every day and had made me sit with her to see if she could actually get into her subconscious around my presence. Carlisle had said that it would help her get stronger if she could manage to do it. It had taken her a couple days, but she'd gotten it. I'd even moved around the house, making noise. The last few days, Cricket and Trey and been stomping around as well.

Cricket hadn't had anymore visions. She'd said this was the final obstacle. After this, we should be home-free. I was skeptical. Something always went wrong. But Nessie believed she could pull it off with Aro. All we'd have to worry about, according to her, was the fight.

Over the past week, Seth had been getting better. He constantly talked to Caden and Shelby. Even confided in me. But he was also still off. Every now and then, I'd see his jaw clenched, knuckles white from gripping whatever he was holding too tightly. He'd have to excuse himself in order to go calm down. On those days, the images in his head were strong.

Caden taught Shelby how to shift without the full moon because he knew she was dominant enough to do so. Seth had said that things were much easier once he was able to run with her. He felt more in control of his feelings and dreams. He made love to Shelby every night, even though he'd blushed when he told me that, but he seemed to feel better saying it. Like he was happy to admit that he was taking care of his woman.

So I'd admitted that I was doing the same thing with my wife. True, too. Ness and I had been at each other every chance we got. I was pretty sure we managed to put a few dents in the walls and crack the dining room table. I'd left bruises behind and in return, Ness had given me her teeth marks.

I had debated giving her the gift I'd bought her, but that would make it seem like I didn't think we'd make it to Christmas. I just couldn't do that to her, so I left the gift where it was. And I'd been telling Nessie the truth when I'd told her that I didn't want anything from her for Christmas. Just being with her was enough. But I knew it was important, and I knew she'd figure something out.

Calahan and I had agreed to put pack stuff on hold. Ness and I had met with them a couple times to discuss things about how we lived. Marcia had even apologized to me and Nessie. Calahan knew that one of his males was involved with two of mine, and I'd briefly explained the situation. He'd told Rhett to stay away from Adam and Derek until he had time to think about it, which had crushed Adam and Derek. Staying away from an imprint is very difficult when it wasn't the imprint to ask that you stay away. I'd know. I'd been there. So I'd gotten Calahan to agree in allowing Rhett to talk to them on the phone. It was the best that I could do. Calahan needed time, and I understood that. He was a leader that believed in populating the pack. Three men couldn't reproduce. And he was straight as an arrow. A lot of straight men couldn't grasp the concept of men loving other men. And some couldn't understand the same of females. Calahan was one of those men as he'd proven with Bianca and Angelica.

Right now, Charlie's house was packed with me, Ness, Seth, Shelby, Brayden, Edward, Bella, Leah, Caden, Sue, and Charlie. Charlie was involved enough to know that something big was going down. He didn't like it, but he didn't question it, knowing it was going to happen whether he liked it or not. So we all just spent the day together. Edward and Bella kept coming over to touch me and Ness, as if they were assuring themselves that we were still there.

Brayden was passed around, snoozing in and out in people's arms. Seth did seem better. He smiled easily and refused the beer that Charlie always offered. I nodded to him approvingly.

Eventually, though, they left so that Shelby could see her dad before tomorrow's showdown.

"So," Charlie said. "Something big is going down. When?" he asked as he sat down in his recliner.

"Tomorrow," I answered.

He gave me a look and then scrubbed his eyes. "Stay safe. And keep my granddaughter safe."

"I'll do what I can, but Charlie, we're fighting our own battles tomorrow. We'll be on our own, separated." And then I amended myself. "If everything goes according to plan, that's what will happen."

"That's your plan?" he demanded. "To fight like that?"

"It's either that or a bloodbath. If that happens, the town could be in danger. We're trying to keep it contained. A few lives versus a townful? Come on, Charlie. You're a cop. You know the best choice."

"Hey," Nessie said, coming into the living room from the kitchen. "No business talk. It's family time today."

"Yeah, and tomorrow you get into a fistfight," Charlie said.

Nessie leveled him with a look as she handed us beers. "Grampa, we'll be fine. Now hush it." And then she went back into the kitchen.

I held my hands up. "You heard my wife. No more work talk for me. Find something else."

Huffing, he turned on a football game and drank his beer.

Laughing, I popped my can open. I didn't drink often, not enough to keep it in the house, but I'd found I liked the taste every now and then. This was one of those moments.

We spent most of the day with them. But after we left, Nessie headed out with the girls and I went in search of my pack of guys.

I found them at Seth's place, wrapped around his circular dining room table. They were all laughing or drinking or playing cards. Even Sam was there even though he wouldn't be there tomorrow. He'd decided to stick to human so he'd be staying with Emily.

He came at me with his arm outstretched. I clasped my hand to his forearm and he did the same to me.

"You watch your ass out there tomorrow. I know it'll be hard, but try not to worry about Ness until you've taken care of your guy first. She's trained up. She can handle herself."

"I know. But she's my wife, my imprint. I'll worry no matter what."

"At least you get to fight. Seth just gets to watch."

I nodded. "That's true. At least I can get my frustration out."

Sam clapped me on the shoulder. "Utilize that frustration, but don't lose your focus."

Laughing, I did a little bow. "Yes, master."

He slapped the back of my head. "Smartass."

They all laughed and jeered at us. It was great to see them like this. We hadn't been a bunch of rowdy guys since there had just been a handful of us. Caden had managed to call one of the other packs. They said they'd come to help, but not stay to take land. They wanted to go back home, so not all of their wolves were coming. But it was still better than I expected. They'd shown up over the weekend. My guys were jumpy and ruffled by all the newcomers. It was understandable.

"Jacob's gonna kick some ass tomorrow!" Paul yelled.

All the guys cheered.

Trey, beside Paul with a new laptop, shook his head, and then grabbed his attention once more.

I lifted the beer that Sam had given me. "Don't forget Caden! Who is conveniently hiding in that corner."

They all turned, more cheering, and held their drinks up to him. He rolled his eyes, but smiled and held his drink up.

"And Walker?" Caden said.

"Really, guys?" he said from his spot at the table.

"Yes, really," Caden and I said at the same time.

"And your man, Eric."

Walker acknowledged us with a nod and raise of his glass as well.

Clearing his throat, Seth stood up, his glass in his hand. "Since we're all making toasts. I want to make one to Jacob and Ness. Two of the best people I know. And to all of our fighters. Their bravery will not go unnoticed no matter the outcome. But we hope that they all come home to us tomorrow night."

"Here, here!"

Glasses and cans clinked all around the room.

I lifted my drink to him, knowing that that had to be one of the hardest things for him to say.

Taking a drink, he sat down hard and then stared at his hands.

I promised myself that if I was able, I'd watch out for Shelby as well as Ness.

It was the least I could do for him giving his life for mine.

**RPOV**

Since the boys were all at Seth and Shelby's place, we girls all met up at mine and Jake's. The difference was, I could hear the rowdiness of the boys from across the lake. Here, it was like they were in mourning. Quietly talking amongst themselves. Wouldn't meet my or Shelby's eyes. Many of the pack members didn't approve of the plan because they couldn't protect their alphas. They felt it was their job to protect us.

As the days had progressed over the past week, the playfulness of the pack had ebbed, and now a looming sense of dread had blanketed us all. I'd often caught myself watching the pack interact with each other, seeing them with their mates. Every one of them I had some sort of memory to play through. Though I wasn't close with all of them, I did love them. They were my family, and not just because I was married to Jacob. Watching them, I'd had the realization of a lifetime.

I wasn't scared of my death.

I was terrified of failing them.

Finally, forcing a smile, I stood up. "Guys, we're not gone yet. Let's enjoy tonight. We'll make it." They just looked at me. "Come on, ladies. You can't always protect us. We get to fight for you, too. This is the best way." The sadness in their eyes melted me. "I love you. All of you. And that's why I'm doing this. You guys have protected me for a very long time. It's my turn to protect you. Let me have this."

With a sigh, Morgan stood up. "She's right." When they all glared at her, she glared back. "This is our alpha female, guys. She's no longer just Jacob's imprint. She's his mate, his equal. It's time we treated her like it. For the past week, when we've seen Jake, have we treated him like this? No. Because we've always supported his decisions and knew he'd fight no matter what. How could we expect any less from his mate? How could we not support her? Or Shelby, for that matter? She's making a sacrifice, could possibly say goodbye to her son, but she's willing to take down a threat to us."

Leah stood up. "If anyone can win this, it's Nessie. That royal bastard actually likes her. And she can win against Jane. I know she can. Caden told me about how she did it before. She can do it again and take that bitch out. Shelby has been training, gaining more and more control. She has the incentive of my brother and her son to bring her back. And Caden? You don't see me moping around. My man is gonna throw down and come home to me. Walker to Christa. Shelby to Seth. And Jacob and Ness are going to walk off that battlefield together. Maybe a little bloody, but they're coming back. Period."

With tears flooding my vision, I looked over at Shelby. She looked proud and confident. Which she should. She'd been training every day with Caden, learning how to use every weapon at her disposal.

I'd also been training with Dad and my uncles. Dad didn't believe that Jane really knew any fighting techniques, that she relied heavily on her power. And she wasn't expecting a fight so she'd have no reason to learn to fight. If everything went according to plan, she'd be blindsided, giving me the upper hand.

Shelby must have felt me staring because she turned to look at me. We'd go into this fight together. We both knew that, even with all the confidence, one or both of us may very well not make it out. But our strength and loyalty went deeper than our fears. We'd do whatever we had to in order to protect the people we loved. And we loved every woman in this room. That was enough for me.

Eventually, the girls all loosened up. Shelby popped open a couple bottles of wine and handed out glasses. We laughed, played games, and watched movies. Talked about guys(not ours), and made plans for the upcoming weekend. Christmas plans and gift ideas.

That's when I remembered Jacob's leather jacket. He said he needed a nice one for public decency.

Digging out my phone, I called my aunt.

"What's up, buttercup?" she answered.

Chuckling, I said, "You still have Jacob's jacket measurements, right?"

"Yes," she said slowly, drawing out the word.

"Good. I need them."

"Oooo, you finally figured out what to get him?"

I nodded even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah. He needs a nice jacket to wear out. I didn't want to replace the one he rides in. It's sentimental to him, so I figured a new one for just when we go out."

"Oh a leather jacket."

"Yup. And I don't want it to be one of those stiff, new leather types of deals. I want the really nice, supple stuff."

"Hmmm," she murmured, papers rustling in the background. "I think I know just the shop. Would you like me to order it? I can do it. I know them out there for Jasper."

Having her do it was tempting. She was great with people and getting what she wanted in the time frame she wanted it. But I really wanted to become that kind of woman.

So, I said, "No, I can do it. Just text me the name and number."

"Will do." Then she got serious. "Love you, sweetcakes."

"I love you, too, Aunt Alice. We'll see you tomorrow? You're not taking off again?"

"We'll be there. Promise."

"Good. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Ness."

I hung up wanting to cry. The emotions were starting to eat at me. Talking to my family, knowing they would have to watch on.

An arm wrapped around my shoulders. It was Shelby.

"We'll be fine. You've survived this before. We'll survive it together."

Leaning into her arm, I hugged her. "It's not really the fight I'm worried about."

"Then what?"

"The Volturi. I'm worried I'll say the wrong thing and ignite the war."

She pulled back. "Nessie, as Morgan said, you're our alpha female. What's in our best interest is in your heart. Speak from there. It sounds stupid, but follow your heart."

"Don't overthink it," Morgan said. "Just let it flow. And know that no matter what they decide, we'll all fight."

"Absolutely," Leah said.

Seeing them support me, support all of us, gave me even more strength. An even stronger conviction that what we were doing was right.

**Later that night…**

**RPOV**

Jacob and I laid in bed, stripped to our skin in the sheets. We lay parallel to each other just staring. His hands roamed my body, not sexually-well, not primarily. And I was doing the same to him. Memorizing everything I'd already committed to memory.

Except his tattoo. The one he got when he joined the pack. He was laying on that side, and I wanted to trace it with my fingers.

Pushing a fist into his chest, I forced him to roll over onto his back. He did without hesitation. When the tattoo was visible, I laid my head on my arm so that my eyes were on level with it. A tiny piece of it was missing because that was the arm that had gotten sliced up a while back. Looking at the intricate designs, my fingers traced the same paths as my eyes.

"When this is all over," he said, speaking for the first time in hours, "we should get you a tattoo."

I laughed. "But my body doesn't like change. Don't know if it would heal over the ink or let me keep it."

"They had to use a special type of ink on us because we heal fast, too. We could try it."

"Okay," I said with a smile. "We can pick something out and try."

"Deal."

He brought his hand up making the muscles in that arm bunch, the tattoo moving with it. His forefinger brushed over my cheek. "You ready for this?"

"I have to be. Like I told the girls, I'm more worried about the negotiation part. But they told me to just follow my heart, that it'll tell me what I need to say."

He nodded. "They're pretty smart, our females."

I laughed. "Yeah, they are. What do you think?"

"I think...that whatever you say, it will be epic. One way or another, there will be a fight. That's just how it's going to happen. They're jonesing for one. And we'll be ready. But I agree with the women. You have a way with people that just makes them want to keep you happy. Hopefully that will work on Aro tomorrow."

Giving up my tattoo tracing, I slid my hand across his chest. He raised his arm and I slid into the crook of his body. "I hope you're right."

Jake leaned back to catch my eyes. "Could it be that that famous optimism is slipping?"

I rolled my eyes. "I just don't want to cause a war."

He hugged me to him. "All I can really say is that you should be confident in what you say. And that I'll be with you the whole time just like I was back then."

"Thank you. I love you, Jacob."

"I love you, too, Nessie."

I closed my eyes. "Say my name," I whispered.

"I just did."

I shook my head. "My full name."

The arm that wasn't trapped under my head crossed his body so that he could cup my cheek. "I love you, Renesmee."

"I wish I could meet her."

"Who?"

"The woman I'm named after, my grandma Renee."

His arm tightened around me. "It's for the best, Ness. She wouldn't be able to handle it like Charlie does. At least, that's what your mom says. I never met her either. Sometimes, we have to let people go."

"I know. I just wish things could be different. That mom didn't have to give up her mom. How she did it, I don't know. My mom is everything to me. I don't know what I'd do without her. I don't tell her that enough."

"She knows. Your dad, too. They know, baby." Leaning forward, he kissed my forehead. "We have a big day tomorrow. We should get some sleep."

We'd made love so many times over the past week that it was almost like breathing. But I understood why he didn't want to do it again tonight. He'd said his goodbye last night. If we made love tonight, I wouldn't have the strength to be separated from him in the morning.

Everything was set. All the children and females from the other packs were down at the rez. Our females had refused to even let Jacob think to tell them to stay on the rez. Haleigh's separation from Christa and Walker had been the worst. She'd fought and cried against Sam's chest, screaming for her mommy and daddy. It hadn't been any easier on them. Christa had cried after kissing the girl's forehead and forced herself to turn away. Walker's eyes had been red and puffy. Jacob and Xavier had shared a tight hug. Brayden had been left with Sue and Charlie since they knew more about what was going on. Shelby had let him go with a long kiss to his forehead before pulling away. Cricket and Trey were staying down with Billy much to Cricket's irritation and Trey's relief.

Now, moving through the sheets, I rested my head on Jake's chest. Sleeping was going to be nearly impossible, but I closed my eyes anyway.

**TriciaPOV**

"Embry, I'm staying here. In our house."

He shook his head. "You're going to stay with Rachel and Rebecca."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Make me."

For a moment, he just glared at me. And then he ducked down, put his shoulder into my stomach and lifted, his arm behind my knees. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"Embry Call! Put me down. Right now."

"Tell me you're going over there in the morning."

"You can't make me stay there, Embry. Short of handcuffing me to something-"

"Good idea. And they'll do it, too, if I ask. They understand."

Sighing, I planted my elbow hard in his back and put my chin in my hand. Didn't faze him at all. He liked pain. Dammit.

We'd been having this argument all day. Right now we were in the living room next to the couch. He'd already tried to take my key to the house, but the moment I let him have it easily, he knew that I'd made a copy of the one he'd given me and hadn't taken it.

Gently, he put me back on my feet. Crossing my arms under my breasts, I refused to look at him.

Putting his finger under my chin, he forced my head up but I still didn't look at him. "Why are you so opposed to this?"

"Because I wanna stay here, in our home." I knew I sounded pouty and petulant but I didn't care. It was the truth. "And…"

"And?"

"I...I don't fit in."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Uncrossing my arms, I tugged at my hair. "Look at me! I'm the Ice Princess compared to them. They see me differently. They have to."

Cupping my face, he smoothed his thumbs over my cheeks. "Tricia, sweetie, they like you. They want to hang out with you."

"Yeah, uh-huh."

He nodded. "It's true. They asked me where you were staying. Rachel offered her place so you wouldn't be alone. So you'll have two women who understand what you're feeling. They like you. I mean, have you seen Christa? She's not exactly dark like the rest of us. Just mingle with them. Rachel said you'll have your own room so that if you don't want to hang out, you can go in there." He moved in closer to me. "I just don't want you here alone. I don't trust those vampires. And there's no telling how this will play out tomorrow. I could end up fighting. Nobody knows. Please, Tricia. For me. Stay with them."

He'd said the magic words. For him. For him, I would do anything.

"Ok. I'll go over there in the morning."

"Thank you," he whispered against my lips before kissing me.

I kissed him back.

The oven beeped, signaling that the lasagna was done.

Letting me go, he went to take it out. "I really want you to get along with them. After all, once this mess is over, we're going ring shopping. You'll be their family through me."

My breath caught. "Are...are you proposing?"

He turned to me with a smile. "Not this instant. I have it all planned out, but it's going to be a surprise when and how. I just want you to have the ring you want. So, on Thursday, after Nessie gets us through this tomorrow, you and I are going ring shopping. We won't stop until you find the perfect ring. Even go to Seattle if we have to."

Running at him, he caught me as I jumped into his arms. Between kisses, I managed to say, "God, I love you so much!"

He spun me around, and I clung to him. Now, more than I had last night, I prayed he'd come home tomorrow. I just couldn't lose him, not now that I'd found him.

"Please come home," I whispered.

His answer was to tighten his hold around me.

**The Next Morning...Wednesday.**

**RPOV**

As predicted, I maybe got about thirty minutes of sleep. Jacob managed to grab a couple hours. We moved in silence, but brushed against one another for comfort. Jacob got my chain out of my jewelry box and laid it out on the dresser because once we left the house, he'd phase and I'd ride on his back all the way to the site. His ring would stay with me.

As I was about to walk into the closet, Jacob gripped my arm, turned me, and backed me up into the wall.

"Jacob, what are you-"

He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine and shoving his bare thigh between mine.

"I know we just sort of agreed that the other night was our...but I need to have you once more before we go," he said, voice shredded with emotion. He swallowed hard. "Please." It was a hoarse whisper.

"Yes."

That was all he needed.

Swooping in to claim my lips again, he also gripped my thighs and lifted me up, my back still against the wall. Without any hesitation or foreplay, he thrusted up inside me. We both grunted but still didn't break the kiss. It was too sweet.

But his hands did move up, fingers digging into my ass and pulled me down the same time he thrusted up. It was hard and deep, ragged just like his voice.

Though it was rough, it wasn't the kind that was dominating. More like he was raw inside, we both were, and just wanted give each other one last blow of emotion before we had to lock down our feelings and go to battle.

He thrusted up inside me, and I tried to move my hips with him. He sped up, slamming my lower back against the wall with each forward motion of his hips. The sound of skin slapping skin echoed in the room. My body was quickly tightening up, readying for him, because somehow I knew that his release was going to be hard and fierce inside me.

Those fingers sank deeper into my flesh, bruising. Lips leaving mine, he put his mouth on the side of my throat and bit down hard enough to draw blood, growling against my skin. An explosive breath punched out of me and I gasped through the pain where my pleasure came to wash it away. When he let go, I felt the liquid trickle down between my breasts.

My body was twitchy, skin crawling in goosebumps from the energy he was putting off. I was getting close, his body rubbing mine in all the right places.

Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I put us chest to breasts and my mouth right at his throat. "Jacob," I managed to get out as his thrusts hardened, deepened. I whimpered from the sudden stretching, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The pleasure was building in my stomach. Jacob was hammering into me, his lower abdomen stroking against my sweet spot on every thrust. Tingles shot through me.

"Together," he said.

"Together."

A moment later, his next thrust was his last and hardest. I screamed as he emptied into me, erection jerking wildly. And then my own orgasm hit. I screamed again just before I sank my teeth into his neck, tasting blood. At least I wasn't venomous.

He roared as I milked him dry. My back was against the wall once more, and with me secured, he planted his fists into the wall beside my head as we both spasmed around each other.

When we were both calm and sated, he carried me to the bathroom where he cleaned us both up even though he shook like a tree in a tornado.

"I'm sorry," he said as he wiped up the mess he'd left behind between my thighs as it dripped down my legs.

"Don't be. I was needing it, too. And no, you didn't hurt me."

"Good."

We were back to shielding our emotions. Which was fine. We were both raw and worried for the other.

After cleaning up the blood on my torso and neck, I dressed for agility. Sneakers, sweats, and a long-sleeve tee. My hair was done in a braid that I'd wrapped into a bun at the nape of my neck. No need to give my enemy a handle to use against me.

Jacob forced me to eat a bowl of oatmeal just to have something on my stomach. I wanted to throw it up as soon as I finished, but I forced it to stay down. He ate a few bowls of Lucky Charms, which made me laugh sadly. Lucky Charms on a day like this? Nicely ironic, which was why he did it.

Outside, the pack was meeting up in the woods and the clearing. Walker and Calahan were escorting their packs up. Christa was with her man. Senna, Zafrina, Tia, and Benjamin were standing with my family who had joined Jacob's pack. Seth and Shelby were at the front of the pack. Seth was phased out. Carlisle had tried to get him to stay home but he'd refused. Shelby was standing next to him in human form. Her hair was also braided. Because it was so short, she was able to French braid it tightly to her head and nape. In normal circumstances, I'd have said it was cute, but the look in her eyes stopped me. She was ready to kill.

Jacob handed me his ring, which I slid onto the chain. Instead of putting it around my neck, I wrapped it around my right wrist and slid the ring on my middle finger.

Since he wasn't going to be in human form until he had to fight Tristan, Jacob took me into his arms and kissed me hard and deep.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

And then he jumped off the porch and phased. Shaking out his coat, he stood there waiting for me. Stepping off the top step, I swung one leg over his body and hopped on his back. The day was supposed to be a very cold one, but Jacob's heat seeped through my clothes, warming me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Shelby hop up onto Seth's back.

"We're ready, Jacob," Dad said as he and Mom came to stand on either side of us.

Jacob hunkered down, ready to run. Gripping his fur, I flattened myself to him as much as I possibly could, keeping my face shielded in the dense fur between his ears.

Letting out a bark, he took off into the woods. The spot we were heading for was in the mountains, and the closer we got, the more the temperature dropped. Snow started getting into my eyes. Turning my head, and burrowing into his fur, I could see through the trees others moving in the same direction far off. Caden had said the other pack he'd called was going to stay up in site area to avoid high tensions. Matthew was a widower and had two small sons back on his land. He wanted to go home to them.

It took about an hour to get there, which was why we'd camped up here last time. But we'd all wanted to spend some quality time with family and had opted for waking up uber early.

As we moved, I tried really hard to keep my mind off of everything. Thinking about facing Aro again made my stomach roll, the oatmeal threatening to come back up. I honestly couldn't believe this was happening again. Another showdown.

Jacob burst through the trees and into a massive clearing that I hadn't seen in years. We all tried to avoid this area. It had represented the fear of being slaughtered.

As the other groups poured into the clearing, I had a nasty thought. Years ago, we'd come here because of me, of what I was. Now, we were here again, this time by my request. Looking around at all of them preparing to face down the Volturi, getting in various groups and positions, I wondered if I had brought them to their slaughter.

_Oh, god,_ I thought._ What have I done?_

Beneath me, Jacob whined.

"Go back into the woods, Jake. Please."

He did as I asked and turned back around. The moment we were shielded by trees and shrubs, I slid off his back and stumbled over to a thick growth of plants.

And decided that I really shouldn't have eaten breakfast as I chucked it all up. My stomach heaved.

Ice cold hands wrapped around me. One arm banded gently around my waist. The other hand on my forehead.

"It's ok, sweetie," Mom whispered in my ear.

Once I was done, I swallowed hard and sat back against my mother's chest. Dad came around to wipe my mouth with a handkerchief he'd probably gotten from Carlisle. Jacob stood over us, keeping an eye on me and on the clearing.

"Did I just sentence these people to die?" I whispered.

Jacob whined again, but Dad shook his head. "No. Aro won't risk his own life and Alice said he didn't bring all the guard. He'll be surrounded and know that he won't make it out alive. You can do this, sweetheart. I know you can. You're just like your mother. I vastly underestimated her through all the danger we went through. She could do this, and you're her daughter. I believe in you."

"We all do," Mom said. "Feel better?"

I nodded with her hand still on my forehead. "Empty, but yeah. I'm good." Pulling away from her, I faced them both. "Thank you for always being there for me. I don't tell you how much I appreciate you enough, how much I love you, and that I could never survive without you." I hugged them both at the same time. "You're the greatest parents a girl could ask for."

They hugged me in return.

"And we love you," Mom said. "Very much. You're the greatest miracle I could have ever asked for."

Dad just held onto both of us.

Jacob whined and then growled, grabbing our attention.

Dad pulled away. "They're almost here. We need to get out there."

My stomach flopped again, but I forced myself to my feet. Dad was right. I was my mother's daughter. She'd been brave enough to face the Volturi for me, fully prepared to let me go if it came to a fight, prepared to watch Jacob run away with me. It was my turn to be brave for her, for my entire family.

Straightening up, I went to stand beside Jake. Mom and Dad stood to either side and behind us, following us out. Some of the wolves were missing, having melted into the wood to surround the area. Other than that, the group was huge this time around, and I couldn't help but feel hopeful once more, that optimism taking root again.

Jacob walked us to the front of the group.

Where we waited.

**JPOV**

Making love to Nessie this morning was probably the worst and best decision I made. I'd gotten to be with her one last time.

Her fingers dug into my fur as we walked all the way up to the front of the group, to the middle of the massive clearing. They made room for us as we passed. The Cullens and other vampires stood behind us. Scanning the woods, I couldn't see the wolves that I knew were there. We'd scoped out the area, picking the spots in order to surround them. Alice had assured us that Aro wasn't bringing his entire guard. For some reason, he wasn't thinking in terms of a fight. He truly wasn't thinking of destroying us, or trying to.

Beside me, Edward frowned.

"What is it, Edward?" Bella asked, noticing, too.

"Carmen and Eleazar. They weren't taken with Kate and Tanya and Garrett."

Bella looked out over the snow. "They're here?"

He nodded. "Nervous about all the wolves."

"Where?" Carlisle asked.

"The trees behind us, the direction we came in."

Carlisle disappeared a moment later. It took a couple minutes for him to return, but he did with the two others following. They looked scared and wary.

"We apologize for not returning your calls, Carlisle," Eleazar said. "We had to put safety first."

"You saw what happened," Edward said.

Eleazar shared a look with his mate before nodding. "They took Kate, Tanya, and Garrett. They fought back admirably, but Jane was there. They had no chance."

"Explains all the blood," Caden said. "Not all of that could have been Tristan's without him dying."

Nessie reached out to Carmen. "Don't worry. I'll get them back. And hopefully, get the Volturi off our backs for good."

"How?"

She shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure, but speaking with Aro, I'll come up with something."

Something caught my attention across the field. Edward, too.

"They're coming."

Nessie put her face in the fur at my neck. "I love you so much. No matter what happens today, I'm glad I got the time with you that I have. If we survive this, I'll tell you every damn day."

Whining, I pulled back enough to rub my muzzle against her cheek and back into her hair.

"Nessie," Edward said, pulling our attention.

Looking around, we found the black line of the Guard, just like last time, flashing through the trees. Aro was at the front of the group with Caius and Marcus beside him. The wolves around me snapped and snarled. I growled at them.

_Calm down, guys,_ I told them. _Remember, it's not a fight. Not yet. Stay calm. Stay in neutral until I say otherwise._

Affirmatives came from every direction. Edward had a hand clamped on Caden's shoulder. He was straining, lips pulled back from his teeth as he watched Caius approach. As the line of black spread out, I could see the Denalis. They weren't being held as if they were prisoners, but they were guarded heavily, especially Garrett. And then Tristan came into view with Nyla and the other few wolves he had. I was pleased to see that they were heavily guarded as well. To nobody's surprise, Malik was with them as was his accomplice, Gavin. Looks like our fighters were all in play.

Tristan's eyes met mine. I growled as his lips peeled back from his teeth.

Jane completely ignored the wolves even as they all kept giving her glances.

Beside me, Nessie took in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and lifted her chin as she stepped out from my side.

Aro's eyes studied our huge group. No doubt he was looking for Alice and Bella. Once he found them, those red eyes settled on my wife.

He smiled. "Ah, young Renesmee." Though he was yards away, I could hear him as if he were standing mere feet. I knew Ness had been honing her vampire senses so she could hear him as well.

"Hello, Aro," she said in a normal tone. No trace of the fear or nervousness. No hint that she'd thrown up in the bushes either. She was confident once more.

Aro motioned to our group. "Another battalion against us, I see."

"Not meant for violence. Many of these wolves have been wronged by the one you have in custody. They want justice as well. Truly, Aro, I have asked you here to help you."

"If that is true, then please, meet me in the middle."

Nessie looked at me, and I nodded. Together, we started for the middle of the field. Alice, Edward, and Seth followed as planned. Aro came out to meet us, his guard just behind him. Felix and Demetri, if I remembered their names correctly, followed.

Thankfully, Jane and Alec stayed put, close to Caius.

If we had any luck in the world, the three of them would die by the end of the day.

**RPOV**

Swallowing hard, I stopped and waited for Aro to meet us. Felix and Demetri were ridiculously huge. But I took comfort in being sandwiched between two huge wolves.

_Stay strong,_ I thought to myself._ He doesn't scare you. You're a tough woman. You're a Cullen and a Black. Pull it together. Make Jacob proud to call you his wife._

"Shall we begin, child?" He looked just as I remembered him. Fancy black clothes and cape. Royal Volturi crest hanging around his neck. Deep red eyes that were the color of the human blood he spilled everyday.

I gritted my teeth at the "child" part, but smiled anyway. "Of course."

He held his hand out to me expectantly.

I looked from his face to that hand and back to his face. "I have plenty to share with you. But first, I have conditions."

Aro's smile was tight as he lowered his hand. "Conditions?"

"Yes." My eyes found the Denalis. "Our family. They did nothing wrong. No reason for them to be prisoners."

"Ah, yes." Looking over his shoulder, he nodded. "Let the females free."

"No," Kate yelled as the guards forced her away from her mate. "Garrett!"

I frowned. "Garrett, too." When he turned back to me, I raised my eyebrows. "He's Kate's mate and stays in their home. That makes him Denali."

Aro didn't like it. His tongue slicked over his venomous teeth. "That vampire…"

"Is family. Listen, Aro, you and I both know you want a reason to come after my family. But I am not going to tiptoe around you the way others might. You don't scare me. Here's why. I know you want the names of those traitors. And you won't get them by touching me. Not willingly."

He stepped forward threateningly. I didn't back up.

Jacob stepped closer to me.

Aro's guard, Renata, stepped up behind her master.

Aro held his hand up to halt her approach. She wasn't happy about that.

"Child-"

"I have a name." No backing down. I had a damn spine. He might be "royalty" but he needed a lesson in respect.

His lips twitched as he bowed at the neck. "Apologies, Renesmee. As I was going to say, we can always force your hand. And I do not need to touch you to know who has betrayed me. I can see it from them."

"Oh, really? Haven't you noticed that a certain member of you guard is missing? Abigail." Jane managed to pale out even more. "Couldn't she, oh I don't know, erase memories? And before I dig into that little tidbit," I added as he lost his smile, "we have witnesses. If word spreads that Aro houses his own traitors as welcome guests, your belief in 'justice' will no longer be trusted. And word would get out before you could silence all of our witnesses."

He was quiet for a moment. I'd subtly reminded him that he and his guard were surrounded by at least four hundred werewolves by calling them witnesses. At Abigail's name, Caius became guarded. I could practically feel Jacob's pride warm my back.

Aro tilted his head toward Garrett's guards and nodded sharply.

I waited until the three of them were safely with my family and the wolves.

"Your condition has been met, so," he held out his hand.

"Uh, uh, uh, not so fast. I said 'conditions', plural. You've met one. I have two more."

"Two more conditions?" Caius said. "Do you think this is a game?"

I didn't look at him when I said, "I am not speaking with you."

It probably wasn't often a vampire could shock a high member of the Volturi into silence. It took more than was pretty to hide the smile.

Aro gave Caius a look. Caius clenched his jaw. Oooo, a tick. I'd made him twitchy.

Almost smiled again.

"Sweet Renesmee, do continue," Aro said in false sickly sweetness.

I glanced back at Jacob. He nodded, eyes still on Aro and Caius.

"Not so brave without his approval?" Caius sneered.

Now I looked at him. "He's my mate. My husband. I don't make any important decisions without him. It's called a partnership. You should look it up."

He stepped forward with a glare. Aro waved him down. "Your second condition, what is it?"

"She has mated a werewolf!" Caius spat in Aro's ear. "For that alone, she should be put to death."

I noticed he was keep distance of Aro's hands. That was the only thing I noticed through the closing up of my throat at the proposal of my death. Jacob growled and snarled at Caius. He'd been calm with Aro, no doubt trying to show through action that our issues weren't with him…unless he made it so.

Aro's glare was so forceful that Caius stepped back, shutting his mouth.

"Brother, you are quickly wearing thin my patience."

Aro looked to me with raised eyebrows to continue.

What had he asked me? Oh, right. My second condition. I thought up everything as I talked, just going with the flow.

"These members of your group have gone against your back to sully your word. That is not in question. However, these traitors have attacked us, caused harm to me, my mate, and our people. Even caused the death of one of our own. Our condition is that we want give them our own justice." I held up my hand. "Before you argue, we are fully prepared to dish that justice here in one on one fights while you watch to make sure they are dealt with. If we lose, you may take care of them yourself. Both sides of witnesses can leave here knowing that justice has been served." He spent so long thinking about it that I said, "You can even draw boundary lines so you can see the action."

Instead of answering, he asked, "What is your third condition?"

I shook my head. "No. You answer the second one first."

The quick flick of his eyes over his shoulder as he kept thinking about it led me to believe that he already knew about Caius. Or at least suspected.

Leaning forward a bit, I whispered, "All your questions will be answered when you take my hand. But you have to accept our conditions. Or at least give us good terms that we can agree to."

"You wish me to agree to that condition without knowing which of my people will be listed?"

"I do because I believe you already know or have guessed."

"Brother," Caius beseeched. "We should convene to discuss these terms as one leadership. There are possible holes to consider."

Raising my eyebrows, I met Aro's gaze. My expression told him that I knew exactly why Caius wanted to "discuss" the terms. He wanted to try to talk himself out of the hole.

"Silence, brother," Aro commanded. "Ms. Cullen called us here to speak with me. " He looked back to me. "I accept the second condition."

"What?!" Caius demanded, outraged.

I couldn't contain my smirk. So far, everything was working out.

"Excellent. The third, and final, condition will be the one that you will have the most problems with. The one where we won't get along." I let that sink in before saying, "We want you to stay away from us. All members of the Volturi coven are to stay away from Forks. And all those that you saw stand with us then, and those that you see now."

Now, Aro stood to his full height, looking down his nose at me. That tongue went to work under those lips again.

"That is madness," Caius spat.

This time, Aro didn't silence him.

"Ms. Cullen-"

"Mrs. Black," I corrected.

His jaw clenched. He was getting agitated that I kept correcting him. Mr. High and Mighty wasn't so awesome anymore.

Nostrils flared, he corrected himself, "Mrs. Black, you understand that I cannot accept the third condition. You and your family are no exception to our laws."

My smug smirk turned a little evil. I was more than ready to combat that answer. "Need I remind you that we know you planted evidence in covens to suggest they broke the law so that you could kill all but the one with the gift to add to your collection. All of these wolves will go home when you do. We're not trying to build an empire to strike against you. In all actuality, we don't care about you and yours. My husband and I want to live in peace in our own little slice of land, which is here. As for the Cullen side of my family, it hasn't expanded as you can see."

He pulled away from me, walking slowly back and forth. I recognized it as pacing. He was no doubt hoping I didn't.

I continued my argument. "However, if that doesn't convince you, think about this. Remember the last time you came here, and my Aunt Alice, your favorite, showed you your own death if you chose to battle with my family anyway even after knowing I wasn't a threat? We didn't have half as many wolves as we do now. You really want to fight us? Go for it. The outcome will be the same. You will die."

"What will stop us from creating our own army to come back to decimate you?"

I raised my eyebrows. "With no provocation? Why, Aro, are you a hypocrite, breaking your own law? The last time I checked, vampires have just one rule: never reveal our secret. We haven't done that, and no plans to."

"The humans of the reservation-" Caius started.

I shook my head.

"Vampires are a part of their history, their legends. The Quileutes do not reveal their legends to outsiders. That argument is a moot point."

Those red eyes were sharp with knowledge, remembering. "What do you want?"

"I told you. Peace. We want to be left alone. None of our vampires hunt humans, and neither do the wolves. We're vegetarians. That's your only law. We live in peace. The only disturbances we've ever had here are the times that you've visited. Stay away from us, we'll stay away from you. You have my word on that. I am a representative of the vampires and the wolves here. Don't send others. If you want to check on us, watch the news or pick up a phone. Make a decision to let Aunt Alice know and we'll be there. But don't disturb us again unless we actually break the law. We can put the past where it belongs today. Everything has worked out. We're not angry with you for being cautious and wanting to make sure that we're complying with your rule. But you know, as well as I do, that we are no threat to the human community. If anything, we've done what we could to protect them. I am not a threat. None of us are. And it's as simple as that."

I stepped away from him, firmly letting him know that I was done negotiating. That was one condition I wouldn't back down from. This was my chance to make my family safe.

Aro continued to pace, probably looking for a loophole. Knowing him, he'd find one. But at least he and the rest would be away from us for a few years. Long enough for our kids to grow. It could also go the other way. He may decide to never come back here. When it came to my family, every time he'd been thwarted. And he knew what the threat of battle would cost him. While he thought, I looked at Aunt Alice. She gave me a smirk and nod.

"Aro, brother, you cannot think to even consider this preposterous idea," Caius said, keeping tight with Aro.

Aro stopped cold and glared at Caius. "Have you considered that we might be wrong about the Cullens and their pets? That antagonizing them will cost us more than we are willing to give?"

Jacob growled at the "pets" part, but I stepped sideways into his body, hopefully calming him.

Caius gave Aro a disgusted look. "What are you saying? Are you mad?"

"Perhaps, but look at the peace they have. Wolves and vampires living peacefully, even cohabitating. We declared them enemy, but are they really? Things have been much more placid near home after our truce with the wolves. Perhaps we can lead without being tyrants."

"A truce that was broken," another voice spoke up.

Jacob and I turned to find that Caden had moved up to stand just behind us. My eyes went wide and I shook my head, but he'd already caught Aro's attention.

"What are you saying, wolf?"

"One of your people broke the truce you have supposedly upheld with the wolves overseas. I know this firsthand."

"How?"

"Brother, please," Caius begged. He looked vaguely panicked as if he recognized Caden.

"Quiet," Aro snapped. "I want all the truth. This wolf has offered me no ill-will. I shall hear him." He turned back to Caden. "Tell me."

Caden stepped up beside me. "My family was slaughtered only a couple years ago by a vampire wearing the same clothing as you are now."

"Did you see this vampire's face?"

"I did."

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Aro actually swallowed hard. "I should like to see what you did."

"No," I interjected before Caden could reach out. "You agree to the condition, or you see nothing, and your seat of power gets questioned by all. Your choice. And need I remind you that if you threaten war upon us, you are surrounded in this clearing. Close to four hundred wolves are watching every move you make."

"You dare threaten us?" Aro said, rage washing over his face. "Your assurance of no violence is false, then."

I shook my head, keeping eye contact. "No. You fail to see my point, Aro. My condition for you to leave us alone is merely to keep my family safe, to keep all of our families safe. If you threaten war upon us for besting you at this game, you won't make it out of here alive. Well you know it. Whether you die here, now, or later, you will still die. Sure, some of us will go down, but not before we take your head. All of this is I am doing to keep the people I love safe. You have no reverence or respect for human life, that's true. But we're not human. You should respect the safety of your own kind no matter who we choose ally ourselves with. This is all perfectly simple, Aro. You're the one trying to make it difficult. You give us our enemies to punish, we do so here in the clearing, and then you go home back to Italy, and leave us alone. No more stupid, frail reasons to come back. You're here, seeing me now, checking on me. Good. You have nothing else to use to come back. We have no wants or reasons to go to Italy and bother you. You get to keep your power, uncontested and unquestioned. The witnesses will leave, saying that you were fair to us and that justice has been served to those who deserved it. Everyone goes home happy."

Those eyes took in our surroundings. I couldn't tell which way he was about to swing, so I decided to let my heart talk.

Letting my strong facade drop, I moved closer to him. "Aro, please." He looked down at me. "My family, sure we've made mistakes. But we've also done what you've asked of us. My father changed my mother as he promised, which was the only reason you let them go in Italy. And they raised me to keep quiet, to hunt the animals discreetly and hide the bodies. These wolves are no threat. The Quileute wolves exist to protect humans. The Children of the Moon have, as far as I know, abided by the truce. There is no need for us to fight when all I'm trying to do is help you and protect what's important to me, just like you are. Because that_ is_ what I'm trying to do. What will happen if these traitors actually plan against you, try to get rid of you to take_ your_ power? Even Caius, an equal in the leadership, fears you a little. Have you noticed he's avoided your touch?" Finally, I held my hand out to him. "Let me show what they've done to us." I let the tears fall. "Please, Aro."

He studied me for a long moment. And then looked back to Marcus, who nodded. Licking his lips, he took my hand eagerly and cautiously at the same time.

"No!" Caius yelled. Jane stepped forward, too. Demetri blocked both of them.

It was too late anyway. Aro was already dug in like a tick. I didn't demand his acquiescence for the last condition, because he needed the proof first. Hopefully, my pleading had softened him a little.

I could feel him flip through my memories like they were a book. When he got to Jane, he paused, staying on her face, studying it. Every little nuance was placed into my memories, everything Aunt Alice had said about Caius. He saw Tristan and the wolves. Poor Abigail, her admission of torture and erasing Caius's memories. He saw everything.

When he finally released my hand, I stepped back into Jacob. "You see? They plotted behind your back, smirked your word on the truce. Please, Aro. Let us deal with them. It will clean the slate."

Snarling, he turned to Caius. "You betrayed me!"

Now Caius looked scared. "Brother, they're our enemies! They would have broken the treaty eventually."

"Then you should have let them!" His eyes went to Jane. "And you. How could you? I gave you this life! I gave your brother this life. You and your pets deserve what Renesmee is asking for." He turned back to me.

We were all waiting with bated breath as he sized me up, took in the surroundings. All the wolves waiting calmly, patiently, no hint of violence. They were being passive so that he would know civility was the goal with all of us, except toward those who had wronged us.

"I agree to all of your terms. You get your justice, and we shall leave you be."

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**Woo-hoo! She did it! Who doubted her anyway? I didn't! Please review. Let me know what you think! And the fight is on its way! Love you! xoxoxoxoxo**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27! The fight. It may be short, but it packs a punch. Or I thought so. Anyways! I agree with you guys. Ness was a badass last chapter. So awesome. I really hope you guys enjoy this one. I did. Even a short action is better than ten pages of nothing but talking.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**JPOV**

She'd done it! Nessie had gone and pulled it off! I could not have been more proud of her if I'd tried. Somehow, she'd reached in to find whatever was left of Aro's humanity.

Now, all the fighters on our side were lined up. Aro had put some guards on Jane and Caius. Marcus really didn't have anything to say. He just agreed with Aro. Speaking of, Aro had determined a boundary line for the fights. He wanted it interesting, so we were allowed part of the woods. Great. Now it would be near impossible to keep an eye on Ness and Shelby.

Aro stepped forward. "Each of you call out your opponent. I want proof of the deaths."

"Proof?" Nessie asked.

Aro gave her a very direct look. "Head, heart, body. Whatever you feel the need to bring back to me. Now, which is your opponent, Renesmee?"

He already knew because he'd read her thoughts, but he wanted everyone to know.

"Jane," Nessie called out.

Jane's eyes narrowed, but she didn't look scared. She should have.

"Mr. Black?"

I'd phased back, naked in the snow, which scandalized all the royalty. I'd tried not to laugh. Clearing my throat, I said, "Tristan."

He growled and snarled.

Shelby stepped up beside me. "Nyla."

"Bitch," the she-wolf replied as she moved forward to face Shelby.

Walker was next with, "Malik."

Eric. "Gavin."

Finally, Caden. His grin was all hungry wolf when he called, "Caius."

Caius's eyes went wide and he turned to Aro. "You can't do this. You can't just sentence me to death." When he received an icy response from Aro, he turned to Marcus. "Brother, please talk some sense."

Marcus just looked at him for a moment. "That you think this is a sentence proves that you know you are guilty of the crime. I side with Aro," he said so slowly it was almost painful.

Aro moved back, blocking Alec from his sister. Both sides had moved to create a barrier. Others were strewn throughout the woods to remind us where the boundary was.

We faced off with the people we'd called out.

"Ready to die?" Tristan asked me.

I snorted. "Please. Your ass is grass."

"We'll see."

"You may commence." Aro called.

Immediately, Jane took off, running. Everyone scattered.

"Oh, no you don't," I heard Ness say before taking off after her.

Tristan and I both went into a crouch, fists up. Jasper and Edward had taught me how to anticipate his movements. I watched as he positioned himself to throw a right hook. When he threw it, I snapped out, pushing his fist away, turned my body into his and popped my elbow into his nose.

Quickly scrambling away from him, his head snapped back, blood gushing. So I threw a gut shot. He doubled over in reaction, and I threw my knee into his already broken nose, grinding that cartilage further into his face.

He roared and barrelled after me, wrapping his arms around my waist and taking me down to the ground. As I landed hard on my back, the air left my lungs. Trying to breathe gave him time to sit on my stomach and throw his fists into my face. I huddled down so he couldn't get to my neck.

And then he surprised me. Getting off me in a flash, he kicked me hard in the ribs and then ran for the woods.

"I'm gonna kill your bitch," he spat over his shoulder.

And then he disappeared into the woods.

**ShelbyPOV**

I'd taken off for the woods as soon as Aro called out. I'd have more leverage in the trees. Nyla was fast, but I tapped into my wolf speed before she got over her shock.

I'd found a rather large tree to hide behind as she entered the woods. She was wary, knowing that I was close. A rustle of leaves from somewhere else caught her attention, but she was going to pass right next to the tree. Running, she approached my hiding spot.

At just the right moment, I swung an arm straight out. Her throat caught it hard, strangling her for a moment, and down she went. She lay gasping in the leaves, choking on the air stuck in her lungs.

Walking around her, I gripped her hair and dragged her up. "I'm going to rip you apart. You killed Jordan and were there when my mate died. Did you really think you could get away with it?"

Those amber eyes glared at me as she healed, managing to push air in and out of her lungs.

"He's alive," she managed to spit out. "I saw him in the clearing, watching you. How'd you do it?"

I punched her in the face, feeling the satisfying crunch of her cheekbone under my fist. Flying to the ground on all fours, she breathed loudly, still trying to breathe around her injured throat.

"Doesn't matter. He's alive. My son has a father. You lost."

I kept pace with her as she tried to crawl away. And then kicked her in the stomach.

She rolled onto her back, mouth working soundlessly to get air.

Reaching down, I broke a finger.

She found enough air to scream. So I broke another. She screamed again.

A crashing sound behind me grabbed my attention. But I didn't turn in time. Big, masculine hands grabbed me and flung me against a tree. My turn to relearn how to breathe. My head smacked a second after my back, causing stars to cover my vision.

Whoever it was took off, followed by a dark blur.

Jacob.

Tristan had thrown me.

He was after Nessie.

**RPOV**

It had kind of surprised me when Jane had taken off. But really. If it wasn't me to take her out, it would be Aro. Surely she'd think I was doing her a kindness. I'd make it quick.

Following her scent, I knew I should be right on top of her, so I slowed down, scanning the trees. Unfortunately, she came from above and behind. Hitting me from behind, I flew forward and rolled. She'd punched my back.

"You little bitch! You signed my death warrant!"

"That was the point," I said breathing through the pain getting up on my hands and knees. "You've hurt too many people. It's over."

Growling, she stared at me. In my head, I felt her power try to get through my mental wall. I'd flung it back into place the moment Aro had let me go.

I laughed. "Good luck with that, Jane." I got to my feet.

Suddenly, she smiled maniacally. "No, good luck to you."

I frowned, but before I could say anything, a hand gripped my arm and whipped me around. Tristan snarled down at me, blood covering his bruising face. Jacob had already done a number on him. Jane took off into the trees.

Dammit.

Tristan grinned. "I promised I'd get a piece of you before this was over. Dishonorable of me not to keep that promise."

Trying to tug away from him, he slapped me hard with his free hand and then managed to get both arms around me. Once he pulled me into his body, he used one hand to rip at my clothes, at my pants.

The cold air seeped past all the shredded material. I was too close to his body to be able to move. He was able to get his jeans undone and was just fishing his fingers between my thighs to get to my panties when a dark, muscled arm came between us to wrap the inside of the elbow around Tristan's throat. And squeezed.

With lack of air, Tristan panicked and pushed me away from his body to claw at the forearm strangling him.

"Get. Off. My. Wife," Jacob growled, pulling Tristan away from me.

Tristan managed to reach around to get some claws into Jacob, forcing Jacob to throw the other man away from him, but not before Jacob put his own claws into that thick neck. Tristan hit the ground, hand going to his neck. Blood was steady through his fingers. Jacob must have nicked the jugular. Tristan would bleed out if he didn't get medical attention. Jacob would kill him first.

I was more than ok with that.

Jacob turned to me, eyes nearly black. "You okay?" Those eyes saw my ripped up pants and he growled. His face was cut and bloody, but at least he looked better than Tristan.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said breathlessly. Racing up to him, I kissed him. "Love you. Let's finish this."

"Love you, too. Go get her. I'll deal with this."

Wanting to stay with him, but not knowing what Jane was up to, I followed her scent. Eventually, it merged with others. I thought one of them was Walker's. I didn't recognize the others.

This was an area of the woods that I'd studied so I knew where all the big roots and boulders were, easily avoiding them as I ran. The mountains surrounded us so there were rocks and slopes everywhere. Some snow had managed to freeze on the rocks, making them slick. Luckily, I'd worn my newest pair of sneakers just in case. What worried me was the cold seeping through my ripped pants. My skin was cooling down, losing its heat. I could freeze out here if I didn't get more pants, closer to a wolf, or back home.

There was a clearing up ahead, and it sounded like there was heavy fighting happening there. Growls and snarls echoed through the trees. I skidded into the clearing in the slippery dirt. The first thing I saw? A body at the base of a large tree. The tree blocked me from the clearing. I couldn't see what was going on.

Kneeling down, I recognized him as Walker's wolf, Eric. His throat had been ripped out. His blue eyes were blank and glassy, staring at nothing. Anger and sadness brought tears to my eyes as I gently closed his.

The crack of a stick behind me to my right caught my attention. Slowly turning my head, a massive wolf was standing there, watching me with amber, hungry eyes.

We just stared at each other...until there was a pain-filled scream. It got both of our attention. Glancing around the tree, I saw Walker doubled over, but the man standing in front of him hadn't seemed to touch him. In fact, he looked confused.

I realized what it was.

Jane.

Frantically looking around, I finally looked up.

Bingo.

Just as the wolf growled and snapped at me, I jumped up onto the lowest limb. But I wasn't fast enough. His claws sank into my leg, all the way to the bone. I felt those claws scrape my bone, shredding muscle. Screaming, I ripped myself from that grip-no doubt causing more damage- and continued to climb through the pain. My vampire side was still at the surface. I used that energy and hopped the limbs until I reached her. If I didn't, Walker was going to die. Malik would kill him.

I was already almost too late. Malik was landing blow after blow at Walker's paralyzed body. Blood flowed under those sharp claws.

Climbing up onto the branch, I managed to get my leg under me and ran for her on the wide surface, and, wrapping my arms around her, tackled her off the tree. We both fought in the air for the top position. She wanted to crush me so evading the ground wasn't something she wanted to do. Wrapping my leg around hers in midair, I managed to get the top spot just before we landed. The impact made an earth-shattering rumble through the mountains. A high, shattering sound like glass came up from Jane's body.

While she was momentarily stunned into immobility, I tried to find something to detach her head, but I'd forgotten about the wolf. From out of nowhere, he tackled me, rolling us on the cold ground. Yelling out, I did my best to keep those snapping jaws away from my throat and face. It was kind of hard since he was so big. One of those sharp teeth scraped my throat. We stopped rolling with him on top of me. My leg screamed as dirt got into the wound. It was slowly going numb.

A figure loomed over the wolf. Walker. He lifted up a clawed hand and shoved it into the wolf's back. The wolf bucked and howled on top of me. Walker managed to pull it back, wrapped his arms around it, and snapped its neck.

It dropped like a stone.

A figure came up behind Walker as he helped me up.

"Walker!"

Spinning into him, using his hand as leverage, I pivoted around him and punched out with my left fist. I'd been practicing. Jane got the full force of the hit in her shoulder and flew back until she hit a tree so hard that it shook, collapsing at the foot of it.

"Thanks," Walker said.

He looked terrible. Cuts and scratches and bruises covered him from head to toe. His shirt was gone, jeans barely staying on from how heavy they were with blood. His auburn hair was matted with dirt, blood, and sweat.

I smiled. "You're welcome."

Suddenly, he froze with shock. We both looked down as blood seeped from between his lips. A clawed hand was shoved up under his ribs.

"No!" I screamed.

Even though he was choking on his own blood, Walker managed to reach down and break that wrist. Malik screamed, trying to yank his hand out of Walker's body. Walker used my move and turned into Malik, using the trapped hand as leverage to keep the other man where he wanted him as Walker gripped his throat and squeezed, bones breaking, flesh collapsing. Malik's eyes went wide as he tried to breathe through a crushed windpipe. Still choking, Walker ripped the hand out of his side, went around and put a choke hold on Malik and finished the job. After a couple minutes, Malik dropped, dead, eyes blank.

Walker collapsed back against a tree, landing on his ass.

"No! Stay with me," I said going down with him, hands on his face, keeping his head up to look at me.

He spit up trying to breathe through the liquid in his chest. Malik had punctured a lung. Walker didn't have much time before he drowned in his own blood.

"Jane," he choked out, more blood spilling down his chin. "Kill. Her."

He was slipping away and only one thing kept me from getting him help. Snarling, I turned to her. She was still at the tree, eyes maliciously on him. She was about to cause him pain, about to finish him off. He wouldn't survive a hit of her power with his injuries. His body would go into shock and he'd die. All her attention was on him, as if she didn't think me a threat.

"Jane, you can't go after him until you deal with me. You kill me, I won't be able to stop you."

Her attention was still on him so I rushed for her. She snapped out her arm and caught me in the chest, punching me back the way I'd done her. But she followed me, straight-arming me to the ground. I couldn't breathe under that kind of pressure. It was like one of the boulders had been set on top of me. Her other hand clawed at me, trying to shred my skin.

"I hate you!" she screamed at me, her eyes crazed. "You ruined me! I was on top, the favorite. You ruined me!" Shooting down, her mouth clamped around my throat and she bit down.

The venom stung like a bitch and I screamed. If I didn't get rid of her, Walker was going to die. I just had to keep repeating that to get myself to move. My leg was numb, blood loss was making me dizzy, and the venom screamed through my veins.

But the thought of Haleigh without her daddy pissed me off. Moving around under her, I gripped her arm with one hand and used my other arm to smash down, breaking the arm off above her elbow. She reared back, screaming. Air rushed down my lungs, burning all the way down. Instead of letting that stop me, I jumped to my feet. Jane was still on her knees, holding her arm, or what was left of it.

Gaining balance on my bad leg, I grinned.

"Tough luck. I win."

Spinning around, I performed the worst-looking roundhouse kick of my life, but it worked. My foot connected with her head so hard that it splintered from her neck, but didn't come completely off. She fell to her back, eyes wide, trying to heal the damage, but I wasn't going to give her the time. Instead, I lifted my foot over her neck.

"Goodbye, Jane."

Her eyes widened.

And I stomped down.

**CadenPOV**

As fights went, this was the easiest of my life. The bloodsucker had no idea how to fight. At first, he just stood there, staring at me. When I started for him, he moved through the still crowd of his own vampires. I just followed at a leisurely pace, knowing I'd get him eventually. He kept grabbing bodies to throw in front of me, but they moved out of my way once they got their balance. None of them helped him.

Once he had nowhere else to go, he moved out into the open, begging me, wondering what he had done to me.

"You recognize me, but you don't remember from where?" I demanded angrily. "You killed my family. My human mate. My son. And my unborn child. I've had it out for you for two years."

We hadn't moved into the woods, but stayed out in the open.

"Those children were abominations. The boy tasted terrible," he hissed.

Roaring, I went after him in a flurry of hits and kicks. He managed to deflect them which meant that I was pulling everything and not concentrating. I didn't even have my claws out.

Grinning, I pushed them out of my fingertips, my beast stretching inside me. He was ready to shred this bastard.

"You stupid animal. I'm too fast for you."

When he turned to run, I ran after him, jumped and ran over his back. Wrapping my ankles around his neck, I turned in midair, landed on my back, and face planted him into the snow. Getting to my feet, I gripped him around the throat, picked him up, and slammed him down onto his back.

Keeping him down with one hand, I studied the claws on the other. "I'm really going to enjoy ripping you apart."

"No! Aro, please! Don't let this happen!"

Aro came to stand over us. "You tarnished my word. I had no choice."

His eyes met mine, and he nodded.

Grinning, I smashed his shoulder. He screamed. Using both hands, I stabbed him over and over, slashing, breaking away pieces of that strange glass-like body.

Eventually, he stopped struggling, and I stopped grinning.

All he did was scream. No doubt the way my son had as he'd died slowly.

Thinking of my dead family, all I wanted was for the screaming to stop.

Leaning over him, I just stared at him for a moment, taking my claws out of his body. There really wasn't enough left so I wasn't worried about him running.

"Does it hurt?" I asked. "Of course it does. My son suffered at your hands. My wife suffered. And my unborn child never got to see the light of day. And now, you will never see it again."

Lifting my hands up, I positioned my claws over his face. Hands back to back, I set my claws vertically over his face, forehead to chin.

Those red eyes widened, understanding that what was about to happen to him would make what I'd just done seem like child's play. "N-no! No!"

Shoving both sets of claws into his face wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I struggled to get my fingers through all the bone and cartilage, but once I did, my fingers slipped through into his brain, feeling every squish of the organ. Amazingly, he continued to scream.

Until I pulled his face apart.

The crowd behind me cheered as I moved off the finally still body of the former member of the Volturi. His death still didn't fill that hole. Nothing would. But at least the bastard was dead. One of the bigger vampires handed me a lit torch.

I put it to the body, and watched it burn.

**ShelbyPOV**

After we'd both gotten our breath back, Nyla and I had gone at it, clawing and scratching. We were both barely wearing our clothes. Blood poured down our skin. My lip was busted open, flooding my mouth with blood.

Spitting it out, I moved when she did, circling each other.

"We gotta move sometime, sweetness," she sneered through busted lips and blood dripping from them.

"I'm just debating on the best way to kill you." I spit a mouthful of blood on the dirt.

"Oh, I know the answer to that," she said, raising her hand like we were in school. "The answer is, you can't. Because you'll be dead."

And then she came at me, slashing for my face. I ducked, shoved my shoulder into her stomach and pushed her back, slamming her into the tree behind her. She huffed but didn't go down. Instead, she brought her knee up into my stomach. Gasping, I moved back out of her range, but I wasn't quick enough. Her fist came out of nowhere and smashed me in the temple. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I was pretty sure I had a concussion. Her booted foot came up again and smashed me in the chest, throwing me back. Stumbling back, I tried to breathe, but she was on me, shoving me back into a tree, her hand at my throat.

Shoving a hand in her face, I tried to push her back away from me. She couldn't get a good grip on my throat this way, but I was still struggling to breathe.

With my other hand, I dug my claws into her stomach, ripping through the flesh. Screaming, she gripped my wrist at her face and flung me around. Feeling her move with me, I went down on my knees and spun around. On my way down, I'd gripped her shirt, so I knew where she was.

As she came for me, I spun and shoved my clawed hand into her stomach with as much force as I could. She stopped on a dime and just blinked. Digging through her body, I went for her heart, the way that wolf had done to Jacob. Blood poured out of her mouth as I kept digging. I was inside her body to my elbow when I finally grabbed her heart. Blood coated my arm, dripping from my elbow.

"This is for Jordan," I growled, and ripped the organ out.

When her limp body fell to the ground, I sank back on my heels, still holding her heart in my hands.

No time to rest or think about what I had just done though. Grabbing her wrist, I dragged her through the woods. We hadn't made it very far in before we'd started fighting. In a matter of steps, I was out into the clearing. My side of the crowd cheered when they saw me. Seth was standing with Leah and Edward. Relief flooded his expression as did worry when his eyes scanned my body. I gave him a small smile as I started walking for Caden and the leader of the Volturi. Something was burning at their feet. Caius.

I dragged Nyla's cooling body over to them and threw her on the ashes of the vampire, her heart landing with a thud on top of her body. Caden had some shallow cuts here and there as if glass had shattered near him. Looking at the ashes, I wasn't so sure that that analogy wasn't right. I hugged him, still breathing hard.

"Ness and Jake? Walker? Eric?"

He shook his head. "Not yet."

We both turned back to the woods.

"Come on, Nessie," I breathed.

We waited for what seemed like forever before there was movement at the treeline. I held my breath just as Nessie came through. She was supporting Walker, who was bleeding profusely from his side and mouth. Jane's head was in her hand. The crowd cheered again.

Except for Christa. "Walker!" It was a scream of agony because she realized he was badly injured.

As Ness made her way to us, a scuffle started behind us in the Volturi's group. Alec was kicking up a fuss. He managed to break free of his guards and went for Aro, a mist snaking out from his hands.

"You bastard! You ordered her death!"

Before I knew what was happening, Edward was there. In one smooth move, he took Alec's head in his hands, twisted so they were back to back, pulled Alec's head over his shoulder and tugged, popping his head away from his body.

Aro looked at Edward. And nodded.

Edward nodded back.

Nessie finally made it to us. Her pants were shredded, exposed skin starting to turn blue. Her leg was torn apart, blood soaking the snow she was standing in. There was a large gash in her throat over the bite marks Jacob had left behind, and on the other side of her neck were fresh bite wounds.

But out of the two of them, Walker was worse off. His head lolled to the side, blood dripping from his lips.

Carlisle was there a moment later with his doctor kit. Nessie urged him to look at Walker instead of her. He frowned with the stethoscope to Walker's chest as Nessie dropped Jane's head with her brother's.

"Aro, he needs surgery immediately. His lung is punctured. He'll drown if I don't get to him."

Aro looked to Nessie. "What of his opponent?"

"Dead," she huffed out. "And Walker did the killing. Walker's wolf, Eric, is dead. And Gavin is dead as well."

Aro looked to Carlisle. "He is free to go."

Immediately, Carlisle took Walker from Nessie only to turn to a huge wolf hunkered down in the snow. Christa. Walker was placed on her back and off they went.

I really hoped he would make it. He just got his family. And they needed him.

A hand gripped my shoulder.

I turned to see Nessie gripping my arm hard, her eyes frantic.

"Where's Jacob?" Nessie asked.

I swallowed hard and took her hand. "Not yet."

**JPOV**

I'd nicked the jugular, dammit. He shouldn't still be fighting. But he was. He must have somehow healed it. Dominants of their kind must be able to do shit like that.

We threw punches and kicks, never able to actually get a grasp on the other. I kept managing to evade his hands.

"You know you won't win against me. You couldn't twice before."

"I was injured those two times. That second one, I would have had you. This time, I will kill you."

He grinned and licked his lips. "I still need a taste of that wife of yours."

I launched myself at him. When he went to punch out, I hit the ground and swiped out my leg. His feet swept out from under him and I climbed on top of him. Holding his neck to the ground with one hand, I used the other fist as a hammer, pounding his face in. He reached around my arms, dragging his claws down my chest. When he got to my stomach, the claws sank deep and I was forced off of him. Blood flowed over my fingers where they pressed into my stomach as I stumbled back.

Getting to his knees, he got his bearings faster than I did, and flew at me. Pinning me to the tree, the bastard used me as a punching bag. His knee caught my groin and the air flew out of my lungs.

Fucking hell, that hurt. I'd never had that happen to me. It was my new life goal to make sure it didn't again.

But his fists and feet were in a flurry. The only way I could see getting around him was phasing. So I did. All the anger I was feeling burst out of me in fur and fangs, pushing him back.

He sank into a crouch, surprise clear on his face. "Alright, puppy. Let's dance."

Though he was still in human form, he hit me like a cement wall, throwing punches everywhere he could reach. One fist caught my ear, making it ring. I was now deaf, hopefully temporarily. I swiped at him, forcing him back against another tree. He threw punches into my neck. Holding him there with my shoulder, I looked around. There was a large branch that had fallen off a tree. Letting him go, I ran for it.

"Aww, did the puppy find a stick?" he jeered as he followed me.

Good.

In one swift move, I phased back, scooped up the branch, pivoted and slammed the side of his face with it. He still didn't go down, but he did stumble back. There was a sharp point to a broken off branch on another tree behind him. I got an idea. So I rushed forward and hit him again and again. He kept fumbling backward, trying to hold back the blow. Pretty sure I broke his hands. His face, arms, and chest were all one raw wound.

One more hard hit, and he'd land on that sharp edge.

Gripping the branch in my hand like a baseball bat, I took my batting stance, gritted my teeth, and swung as hard as I could. A loud crack echoed in the woods as his breastbone shattered. He flew back into the tree and his eyes opened wide in shock while his body was impaled on that sharp branch. It protruded from his chest, right where his heart was. It was no doubt shredded to pieces now.

Breathing hard, I threw the wood in my hand to the ground.

"I win, asshole. I told you not to fucking touch my wife."

One of my heartbeats later, his eyes fluttered shut and his body sagged against the tree.

**RPOV**

I watched the trees anxiously. Tristan could not walk out of those woods. If he did, Jacob was dead. And Jacob couldn't be dead. He promised to fight.

Dad was too busy worrying over me to be listening for Jacob. He was bandaging up my leg the best he could with what he had, and had Shelby hugging me, trying to keep my body heat up.

I was just worried about my husband. I'd made sure that is ring was okay on my finger, because it was damn sure going back on his finger the moment he got back to me.

"Dad," I demanded, snapping my fingers. When he looked up, I said, "Pay attention. Is Jacob-"

Movement at the trees stopped me. I gripped Shelby's arms, which were wrapped around me.

A massive russet wolf shoved through the shrubs in the next instant and Shelby had to catch me when my knees gave out. Jacob was dragging Tristan's body by the nape of the neck. Finding my footing, I released my best friend and ran for Jacob, forgetting about my leg. When he saw me, he dropped Tristan's body and ran for me. Just before he reached me, he phased and scooped me up into his arms just holding me to him, his face buried in my neck.

Our people cheered loudly and ran for us. Mom got there first, hugging us both. Seth practically tackled Shelby. And Leah plastered herself to Caden.

Jacob looked over to Aro. "I think we're done here. Can I take my mate home to heal now?"

Aro's red eyes studied all of us, and then the bodies on the ground. He nodded. "You have done well, young Renesmee. You are now free of us until a law is broken."

"Which won't ever happen," Jacob said, a warning in his tone.

Aro nodded, turned, and motioned for his people to leave. And then he followed.

Relief flooded me. The cheers got louder.

Jacob turned my face to his so he could claim my lips. Around his neck, I played with the chain on my wrist until it came off. Then I broke the kiss, shimmied down his blood-slicked body, and slipped his wedding band back on his finger.

We did it. We actually did it!

And now we could go home in safety.

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**Holy cow! We're almost done. Two more chapters! Please review. Let me know what you think. As always, I love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28! AHHHH only one more chapter left, guys! I'm so excited! And so far people seem to be digging the fight scene. Or I haven't gotten any thumbs-down reviews yet. I was a little concerned about it at first, but thought "oh what the hell, I have it written" and posted it anyway. So I'm glad you guys are liking it.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**Two days later...Friday**

**JPOV**

Leaning back against the bathroom counter, I watched as Nessie took her shower. It was more of a bath seeing as how she was sitting on a bench to keep the cast out of the water and scrubbing off with a washcloth.

I was here just in case she needed something. That's what I'd been doing the past two days. Helping her around to the bathroom, change clothes, and whatever else she needed. It was my job as her husband after all. She'd needed a transfusion while she'd had to go under for Carlisle to surgically put the leg back together, and she couldn't hold anything other than crackers and water down. Carlisle said her body was still in shock, which didn't surprise me at all. The bite that Jane had given her had started to heal after Adam and Derek brought her some fresh deer blood. The venom had stopped burning only after Edward had sucked most of it out. I would have done it, but they were scared the venom would hurt me, even dulled by the blood. Carlisle had had to stitch up the gash on her neck. Apparently the wolf infection hadn't even fazed her.

I'd had to have my own stitches in my stomach. They'd hurt like a bitch at first, but now the wound was almost healed. The stitches would probably come out tonight or tomorrow. My hearing had come back, but I had a high ringing that sounded more like a beep every now and then. Carlisle said only time would tell if it would go away.

Walker had survived the surgery and was healing rapidly. Haleigh and Christa had slept in the room with him, helping him heal that much faster. Carlisle believed he'd be able to go home before Christmas Eve. Haleigh had said she'd given up writing her letter to Santa because she wanted to help mommy make daddy feel better. Man, that kid was somethin' else.

Eric, Walker's wolf, had been given the funeral pyre he deserved. All the packs here had stayed long enough to pay respects. The newest pack had left just after that. The pack leader had been a nice guy, and was curious about me and my pack to the point he'd said that he would send someone out to study us if that was ok. I'd agreed. The more these wolves knew about living in peace with each other, the better.

Shelby and Caden were the least hurt out of all of us. Caden only had to have a couple stitches but was otherwise perfectly healthy. Shelby had some bruising on her breastbone and had suffered a mild concussion, but was home with Brayden and Seth.

The moment Nessie had been cleared from her transfusion early Thursday morning, she'd wanted to come home. Edward had carried her up here since I definitely would have popped my stitches. Luckily, Carlisle was going to take the cast off tonight, thinking that the amount of blood she'd had lately had helped her heal faster. We were going to head down there once she got out of the shower.

Earlier this morning, Alice had come by with a letter from Aro. The envelope had looked older than me, but had had my and Nessie's names scrawled over it. He'd been apologizing, apparently rethinking all of his past actions against us. I didn't believe any sort of sincerity, but Alice said that he'd made the decision to permanently leave us alone. She said he kept thinking about his death. Ness had told me to toss the letter in a drawer just in case she needed to remind him. I did.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?" I mumbled, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.

She held the washcloth out to me after opening the door to the shower. "Can you get my back?"

"Sure." Pushing away from the counter, I took the wet cloth from her while she turned around and pulled her hair over her shoulder. There were leftover bruises starting to yellow on her skin, but they didn't make me angry. They made me proud. She'd fought, and she'd survived.

As I scrubbed her back, she purred. "That feels so good. You have some magic hands."

I laughed. "All I'm doing in scrubbing you down."

"Yeah, but it feels divine. You don't even know." And then she growled. "I cannot wait to get this damn cast off. Everything itches."

"That's how I felt when I got all my bones broken on my right side and Carlisle wrapped me up, telling me not to scratch. That was all I wanted to do."

Back clean, I handed her the rag back when she turned to wash off the soap. "Can I ask you something?"

I gave her a look. "No. Absolutely not," I said dryly. "I'm your husband. You can ask me whatever you want."

She smiled. "I love it when you talk like that." But then she got serious. "Are you okay? I mean, after...killing Tristan?"

My heart melted for this woman. She was worried about me. I leaned against the shower wall, and reached out to stroke her cheek. "I'm fine, baby. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Seeing that he went after you like that…" I shook my head, growling, not able to meet her eyes. "You were right. There was no way to let him live. Not after all he'd done to us, to you. He tried to take you away from me, not just kill you, but take you, claim you." When her eyes filled with tears, I crouched down and took her hands. "Renesmee Black, you are mine. And nothing will take you away from me without serious consequences, unless it's natural causes. Those I can't punish. But everything else? Better not even try it. I won't tolerate it. I don't know why I wasn't more pissed over it before, but I swear to you now that I won't let another man touch you that way without something of his missing afterward."

Her tears fell and she leaned in, pressing her forehead to mine. "I love you so much," she whispered.

"And I love you. More than anything. I'm so sorry for everything, for not caring enough."

She shook her head. "Don't. It's ok. We're good, Jake. We're safe now."

Reaching up, I stroked her cheek again. "Because of you, of your strength to face him. I'm so, so very proud of you."

Now, she started crying. Hugging her to my chest, I reached over to turn off the water, and then grabbed a towel to wrap around her. Getting her up out of the shower, I helped her into the bedroom. Though her wound extended up past her knee, the cast stopped below it so she could walk. Above her knee was just stitches that Carlisle had said were okay without the cast.

It took a little bit, but we got her dressed in her underwear, old sweats of mine to get over the cast, and an old hoodie of mine. She was drowning in my clothes, but I could handle that. Before going out into the cold, we towel dried her hair. Didn't want her getting sick on top of everything.

"Thank you, Jacob," she said softly. "For taking care of me."

"Ness, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm your husband? It's my job to take care of you. And it's a job I love. I wouldn't give it up for the world. Your health is mine."

That smile was the one I loved most. Her happy smile. The one she'd always worn before all of this crap started. As long as she kept smiling at me like that, I felt like I could do just about anything.

When we were ready to go and Edward was there waiting, I tucked all her hair into the hood and shoved it on her head because all that hair still wasn't totally dry.

Once we got to the house, I surprised to see that the small prison was getting torn down. Another sign that this was well and truly over. In his letter, Aro said he'd told the remaining members of Tristan's pack that if they came against us or any other vampire again, the truce was void with them and he'd track them down to kill them. Their main tormentor was dead at Caden's hands. It was time to let it go and enjoy the peace. Edward and Jasper had relayed the message to our prisoners and then set them free, making sure they left the area by following them out.

That from Aro, I believed. No doubt he'd had enough of the Cullens and werewolves for a long time.

Nessie grinned up at me after Edward put her back on her feet. "It's really over, isn't it?"

Edward nodded. "It seems so. Alice has been watching and has seen nothing to worry over."

"What about Cricket?" I asked as we went into the house.

"What about me, Pongo?"

Cricket was standing in the kitchen doorway, holding a wooden spoon that had what looked like wax on it instead of food. Ness and I exchanged a confused look.

I shrugged. "Just wondering about your visions."

She grinned. "Not a one! And everything feels right. It feels done, like I got what I wanted. Safety."

We grinned at each other before she spun back into the kitchen.

"Oh," she said, turning back to us. "Trey and I are moving out."

"What? Why?" Ness asked.

Cricket gave her a kind of creepy smile, like she knew something that we didn't. "Don't worry, it's not you. Aunt Alice is putting us in an apartment. Trey found a job as tech apprentice with some company that has a location just outside of Forks."

"Oh, so you'll accept it from her, but not me?" Ness demanded.

Cricket was all wide-eyed innocence. "She's my aunt. I have to listen to her."

"Jerk."

We all laughed.

Ness stomped to the stairs, shaking her head. "Whatever. Can we get this show on the road? I really want this cast off."

Rolling my eyes, I went to her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and helped her up the stairs. Carlisle was waiting for us outside the ER room. Walker must have been moved to recovery. Speaking of, the door opened and Christa came out with a scowl.

"What's up?" I asked.

She glared at the door she'd just closed and pointed at it. "That man is...is.._.infuriating._"

Frowning, I said, "What happened?"

Christa shook her head. "I can understand that he doesn't want Haleigh to see how bad off he is, but I'm his_ wife_. I mean, first he bitches that I wasn't in there when he woke up and now he doesn't want me in there. I think the meds are screwing with him."

Ness laughed. "It's not the meds. It's the fact that he's a man." She squeezed my waist. "I have one of my own. Trust me."

"Hey!" I said.

Both women laughed.

"Want me to talk to him?" I asked.

Christa chewed her lips. "I don't know. It would seem like tattling."

Chuckling, I said, "I am a guy. If anyone can talk some sense into him it's another man."

"If you think you can," she said waving her hands around, "go for it. But that stubborn ass won't listen to me."

Carlisle stepped up. "Why don't you do that while I get the cast off Nessie. It'll be loud so you'll have some privacy."

I looked down at Ness. "You okay with that?"

She nodded. "Yeah, go for it. I'll be fine."

Leaning down, I kissed her. "Be back in a minute."

Christa took my place and went into the room with Nessie and Carlisle. I went for the door to the recovery room. I didn't even knock before I just strolled right in. He'd probably tell me to go away.

He was sitting up in the bed, back to the headboard. Haleigh was laying on the bed the length of his legs, tucked in beside him as close as she could get. What I could see of her face was red and splotchy, like she'd been crying. He'd probably tried to get her to leave, but he was her dad now. Daddy's girls didn't give up that easy.

"Hey, man," I said quietly which was stupid since the saw had started up next door.

Walker looked up from stroking her hair. "Hey. You look good."

I chuckled. "Thanks. Stitches are coming out today after Ness's cast comes off. You don't look so bad yourself."

He shrugged but winced. "Apparently, alpha werewolf healing is faster than beta healing. Caden said a lower member of the pack wouldn't be healing this fast from wounds caused by another wolf. And I had Christa with me, supposedly." The last was said bitterly.

Giving him a look, I sat down in the chair beside the bed. "Don't do that. You know full well she slept in that chair beside that bed."

"She wasn't there when I woke up."

"Don't make me hit you," I said angrily. "Walker, look what's curled around your leg." When he looked down, I said, "You have a kid now. Christa had a responsibility to Haleigh, too. It's not just you and Christa anymore so don't act that like that. You were out for the count and Haleigh needed Christa. She was scared, man. Kept asking if Daddy was gonna be okay. Appreciate that and let it go. But why don't you want them in here?"

He snorted. "If I don't want Haleigh to see me like this, I really don't want Christa to see me hurt."

The urge to hit him strengthened. "Walker, I think you're forgetting a vow. 'Sickness and in health', remember? She's your wife. And she's a woman. It's a woman thing to want to take care of us."

"I know. But I just feel so weak, and I don't want them to see it."

I stared at him. "You're joking, right? Look, Ness told me what happened. Dude, you were drowning in your own blood and still took out Malik. If that's not strength, I don't know what is." Standing up, I went for the door. "Like I said, she's a woman, and your wife. She wants to take care of you. Let her. Trust me. Being weak for a little while to heal just allows you to be that much stronger for her later. It's the price we have to pay. As prices go, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Don't push your family away for pride. It's not worth it."

And then I left, leaving him to think about that. Next door, the saw had cut off just before I went in. Christa looked at me expectantly.

"I think he'll see you now," I told her with a smile.

Her body relaxed. "Thank you. You're the best."

I shook my head. "Nope. Just a guy."

She hugged me before disappearing through the door. I turned to Nessie. She was laying back on the bed, an arm over her forehead and eyes, and she was wincing. Carlisle was peeling off the cast and wrappings as gently as he could. I took her hand and she squeezed my fingers hard. The leg of my sweats was pushed up to her thigh.

"How does it look, doc?"

"Well, the swelling is gone. The redness is probably just from me messing with it." Gently, he wiped off the dried liquid that had oozed from the wound to look at the stitches. "Looks like the skin is healing nicely. Ness, I'm going to palpate, okay? I need to see if the muscles are healing."

Biting her lip, she nodded.

He started squeezing up her calf. Every now and then she hissed through her teeth. Her hand was a constant vise around mine. Using my other hand, I stroked her hair.

"How does it feel?" he asked her.

"Like pins and needles," she said through her teeth.

"Alright. Let's try stretching it. I'm going to start by moving your knee up to your chest. The stitches will pull but I want you to try to feel past that if you can."

When she nodded, he counted to three and gently bent her leg, pushing her knee to her chest. She ground her teeth together, jaw clenching. And then Carlisle stretched out her leg, foot toward the ceiling. Nessie took in a deep breath and let it out slowly through her mouth.

"Good," Carlisle praised. "Any pain other than the stitches? Any little thing I need to know."

She shook her head. "Muscles are just tight. The stretching feels good."

"Good," he said again. "Try pointing your toes. Slowly."

She did as he moved her leg down, parallel to the bed. Making all kinds of noises under her breath, she pointed and flexed her foot.

"So much better," she breathed.

"You want to try to walk on it?"

Finally, she moved her elbow and nodded, sitting up. She was able to swing her legs over the side of the bed, her hand still gripping mine. I grinned encouragingly as she gripped my hand and slowly slid off the bed, stepping first on her good leg. I stiffened my arm to give her something steady to hold onto.

"Don't let me fall?" she asked.

"Never."

Slowly, she put weight on the other leg. Her breathing got heavy for a moment as if she anticipated the pain, but after a moment, she relaxed, body losing its tension. It took a long moment of her just standing there, before she started to move. Baby steps, she shuffled over the hardwood floor.

Carlisle shadowed her. "Good. Must not be so bad due to you walking on it with the cast. You were still putting pressure on it. The cast was just keeping everything together. The muscle looks good."

"It feels good."

I moved with her as she walked around the room. And then she let go of my hand. Still shadowing her, I was ready to catch her if she needed it. She didn't. Every now and then, she'd stop to stretch it out a bit.

"Stairs?" she asked.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. "You know your body. If you feel comfortable with it, you can try. Jacob or I need to be with you, though, just in case."

"Of course," she said as she went for the door.

I followed her out to the stairs. She gripped the railing and started slowly down the steps, bending the knee more. I could see the wince every now and then, but for the most part she was grinning.

Shaking my head, I still couldn't get over how strong my wife was.

**RPOV**

Finally! That cast was off and I was walking normally again. Well, almost normal. Sharp little pains still shot up to my knee, but they were beginning to die down. More stretching should take care of them.

As I walked and stepped down the stairs, the sweat pants leg fell back down my leg, covering all the stitches and mangled skin. Jacob's heat followed me all the way down, shadowing me, vowing to catch me if the leg gave way.

It didn't, and I made it to the kitchen. Cricket was doing something and I wanted to know what it was.

Quietly, I leaned over her shoulder.

"Whatchya doin'?" I whispered in her ear.

Jumping a foot off the ground, she spun around, hand over her heart. "Woman! What the hell? You vampires need to stomp your feet or put bells around your necks. Geez!"

Laughing, I backed up and looked around her to the stove. There were slabs of what looked like wax, glass bottles, and wicks.

"I," she said, "am making candles and soaps. When I can get my hands on the supplies, I can make some extra money. It's how I survived at home." She turned back to the stove and stirred the wax. "I actually had people want me to set up a website so they could order my stuff." She shrugged. "I may just start my own little business."

Jacob came up behind me. "You should talk to my sister, Rachel. She wants to start up a little shop like that. Maybe you could get in on the action."

Cricket nodded. "I may just do that. But_ these_ are Christmas presents. Figured this was a good way to pay you back for letting us crash with you."

"Aww, thank you. That means a lot. Where's your other half?"

"Out with Paul getting Rachel's present."

"Ah."

A throat cleared behind us.

Carlisle was in the doorway, looking at Jacob. "You wanna get those stitches out?"

Jacob sagged. "Absolutely!"

My grandfather chuckled. "Let's get back upstairs."

I turned to follow them, but my leg was too tired. I'd overworked it, and it collapsed. Jacob's arm shot out to wrap around my waist and held me against his body.

"Thanks," I said, gripping his shoulder.

He grinned. "Told you I wouldn't let you fall."

I smiled at him as Cricket said, "You got the cast off?"

I nodded.

"Cool. What's it look like?" she asked eagerly.

"Gross," I answered.

"Awesome."

I rolled my eyes and patted Jake's chest. "Come on. Let's go get your stitches out."

As Jacob practically carried me out with one arm, we went for the stairs. Carlisle followed.

"Ness, I have a crutch that I want you to take with you just in case Jacob isn't around to catch you."

"Good idea," I agreed.

Once we were back in the room, it was Jacob's turn to sit on the bed. I took the chair beside it while Jacob slipped out of his shirt and laid back. The skin where the wounds had been was pink and puckered under the stitches. Carlisle slipped on some gloves and went to work. In less than five minutes, the black thread was out of his skin and in the trash.

Carlisle turned to me. "Ness, I want you to come back on Monday. If the skin is more healed, we'll take yours out, too." He went over to the closet and pulled out a grey crutch, handing it to me. "If you're alone, use this, okay?"

Taking it from him, I nodded. "Yeah. Got it."

He clapped his hands. "Well, the two of you are free to go. I'm done with my exams. Now I need to check on Walker. If you'll excuse me."

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and put the crutch under my arm.

"You okay to walk home?" Jacob asked.

"I'll try."

He went ahead of me to open the door. "Just let me know and I'll pick you up."

As I passed him, I patted his chest. "You're such a Prince Charming."

"With fur and fangs," he remedied.

"The best kind."

Chuckling, he followed me out to the stairs, keeping a hand on my back. He really was awesome. It took a good five minutes to make it down the stairs. I had to stop every now and then because the muscle tightened up. But eventually, I touched down on the bottom floor and blew out a breath of relief.

Aunt Rosalie was waiting at the bottom with a wrapped package. Grinning, she held it out to me. "This came today."

Taking it from her, I gripped it to my stomach and grinned back. "Excellent."

"What is it?" Jacob asked.

"Your Christmas present."

His eyebrows shot up. "Ah. So you did figure something out."

I nodded. "Mhm."

Aunt Alice had sent me a picture of what the jacket looked like. I'd deleted it immediately so Jacob wouldn't see it. But it was perfect.

It was perfectly wrapped so I shoved the box onto chest. "Here, you hold this while I try to walk."

Most of the family was out hunting. Mom and Dad were in their cottage, taking a much needed break from the rest of us. Our four visitors had left the night of the battle. The Denalis had seen Carlisle and then disappeared. I still hadn't seen them. But it was understandable that they really didn't want any company right now. They'd been held captive by Jane, their home torn apart.

We said our goodbyes and took off for home. The snow hadn't made its grand return yet, but it was well on its way. The forecast said it was going to be a white Christmas so we were starting to prepare for that. Derek and Adam had chopped up enough firewood for us and Seth and Shelby. They'd even gone out grocery shopping for us. Lucas and Morgan had sent us some get-well flowers that were gorgeous. They stopped by at least twice a day to check in on us. Caden and Leah had holed themselves up into their house. All we got were texts, letting us know they were still alive. Walker had told Bianca to start up the construction process on Roderick's land so the pack could get started with their new life, so most of his pack was up at the site. Xavier had stopped by multiple times to check in as well. He was such a sweetie.

Quil and Claire were at the house, though. Claire asleep in Quil's arms. She'd refused to leave Haleigh.

We'd all be jumpy for a while. It would take a while for it to sink in that we weren't in danger anymore, that we were truly safe.

Another sign was that Adam, Derek, Sadie, and Blake weren't anywhere to be found. No more need for personal guards.

It was just me and Jacob walking back to our house.

Life was good, and was only going to get better.

**ShelbyPOV**

Hope. That's what I had now as I looked at my son in his father's arms. Hope that we were truly safe and able to start the healing that we all needed. Seth and I had locked ourselves in our home all day Thursday, making love, talking, and taking care of Brayden.

Seth was doing better, constantly talking to Calahan when he felt off. Calahan would calm him down and talk through all the thoughts and dreams, breaking them down. He was a good man. Somehow he always knew when Seth was having issues, because he'd call, knowing Seth didn't want to constantly bother him, to check up.

The next time I shifted, Seth would phase with me. Since Caden seemed to be indisposed for now, Calahan had offered to help teach me to shift on a dime the way Caden had been working with me.

Right now, were at Charlie and Sue's place. Sue was fussing over me, all the bruises and cuts, even though I'd told her that Carlisle had done his thing and deemed me fit.

"Shelbs?"

Seth's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I shook my head. "I'm sorry. What?"

He smiled as if he knew where my mind had gone. "You wanna feed him or try a bottle?"

Getting up, I went to take Brayden from him. "I'll feed him. Carlisle doesn't think he'll do well on a bottle. It would be best to breastfeed him until he's ready for baby food."

Seth nodded. "Right. Forgot he said that."

I smiled at him. "That's ok. I'll just remind you."

He forgot stuff a lot lately, but then again, he was fighting the demons in his head. That was fine. I'd take care of both my boys until Seth was better. I didn't mind. It felt good to be needed. After I'd first killed Nyla, it had been hard not to get nauseous. But then, I'd seen Brayden for the first time since I'd left for the fight and it all disappeared. I'd had to do what I'd had to in order to protect my son. Surely, Nyla would have come after him or Seth if she'd been allowed to live. As her body had fallen to the ground, lifeless, the wolf in me had purred in satisfaction. We'd killed the bitch that had helped kill our mate and had killed Jordan.

The remorse I'd felt had vanished when I'd looked around at all that was good that would survive because there was one less monster in the world. I wasn't a monster.

Just a mother that would do anything to keep her cub and family safe.

**TriciaPOV**

The moment I'd seen Embry running down the street toward Rachel's driveway, I'd shot out of the house and run into his arms. And had stayed there ever since.

In Port Angeles, we were looking at rings, just like he'd promised. His arm was wrapped around my waist as I searched the cases, never more than an arm length away from me. The entire shopping trip, he hadn't complained once. Just followed me around, making various comments. I'd found a couple rings that I liked and had taken pictures of them.

Embry had been right. Once the ice was broken, I'd come to really get along with Jacob's sisters. They were as nice and sweet as Jacob was. And Henry was adorable. Every time we'd gone over to Emily's house, he was wherever Leila was. Haleigh and Claire had watched over them, playing with their dolls. Claire had kind of adopted Haleigh as her sister. They grew closer every day. When Christa had called to ask that Haleigh be taken to the Cullen house, Claire had demanded to go with the little girl. Quil had been powerless against that attitude.

"Come on," I said, tugging on Embry's arm. "Let's go to the next store."

Chuckling, he followed me out. "We don't have to go to all the stores today. You have time."

I shot him a look over my shoulder. "You are not a woman. You don't understand the excitement of picking out an engagement ring." Stopping, I turned to wrap my arms around his waist. "This is huge for me. Mom always wanted me with a good man and married, or at least engaged, soon after meeting him." We both laughed. "This will be a dream come true for her."

Grinning, he pulled me in against his body. "And what about you?"

"Definitely a dream come true for me. I just feel like...like...I don't know. It sounds stupid but like a princess or something. You dote on me so much."

He buried his face in my neck. "More like my queen," he whispered.

Okay, if he did more than this, we'd have to go home. To bed. Or the couch. Or the kitchen counter.

"Embry," I chided halfheartedly, trying to push him back.

He just hugged me closer. Close enough to feel the hard length of him through his jeans.

"Ring shopping, Embry," I said with a throaty laugh. "We're supposed to be ring shopping."

"Supposed to be," he mumbled into my skin. "I just wanna take you home and lick every inch of you."

My eyes rolled. Didn't matter that we were on the sidewalk, people watching us. And it didn't matter that he'd already done what he wanted to do again. He'd already put his mouth and hands all over my body all day yesterday. And last night, he'd told me everything that had happened. I felt for Walker's pack at their loss and was concerned for my brother. So I'd called him, but Christa had answered. She'd said he was asleep with Haleigh wrapped around him. She'd sent me a picture after hanging up.

Finally, I managed to push him back. "You already did that yesterday. Today, you promised me shopping. And tonight, I ravish you, remember?"

He frowned. "I don't remember making_ that_ agreement."

"That's because it wasn't an agreement. That's what's going to happen tonight and you're going to get over it."

Growling softly, he leaned down to press his lips to mine. "I love it when you tell me what to do."

"You also love it when I set my nails in your skin." I emphasized that by digging my nails into his biceps.

A shiver ran through his body. When he opened his eyes, they were dark with lust and anticipation.

"One more shop, and then we can go home. How does that sound?"

His grin was pure sex. "Now _that_ is an agreement I can live with."

**WalkerPOV**

Christa had come back in the room, but hadn't tried to talk to me. I suspected Jake had told her he'd talked to me. She'd gone to take a bath and had been in there for over an hour. I'd called out to her to make sure she hadn't fallen asleep and drowned. She'd answered by draining the tub and filling it back up.

Now I heard the tub drain once more, but she didn't fill it back up. Instead, I heard movement and the rustle of clothing. Haleigh was still passed out beside me, her head tucked in against my covered thigh. I'd been stroking her hair the whole time, Jacob's words running through my head.

The door opened quietly. Christa's hair was up in a clip, some of it hanging down around her face. Man, I loved those curls. They glowed like a halo from the light coming in from the bathroom.

"She still out?" she asked.

I nodded. "She'll be up all night if she wakes up."

"That's okay. I probably won't sleep much. I haven't been lately." There was nothing accusatory in her tone, which made me feel even more like shit.

Sighing, I patted the bed on my other side. "Please?"

As she came to sit beside me, her fingers played over her wedding ring. I looked down at my hand. My ring was there, having been placed back on my finger during my surgery. Christa had told me she'd done it.

Since I was in the middle of the bed, there was room for her to put her back to the headboard. We sat shoulder to shoulder. I took her hand in mine. "Baby, I'm sorry," I whispered. "I was an asshole. Jake was right. You're my wife and made a vow to take care of me. I just didn't like feeling weak. Like last time. And especially now that Haleigh's around. But I'm glad you're here, both of you. And I, now, understand that you had a responsibility to her while I was out. I'm sorry I got mad at you."

Expecting her to give me a lecture or a talking-to, I was surprised when all she did was sigh and rest her head on my shoulder, her thumb stroking my knuckles. "It's okay. No matter how much of a fit you threw, I was going to be here anyway. You're just so hard-headed. Figured you needed another guy to yell at you. Jacob offered, by the way. I didn't ask."

Laughing softly, I leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "So you forgive me?"

"Forgiven, forgotten."

I kissed her head again. "You're too good to me."

She lifted my hand to kiss my ring. "You almost gave your life to protect ours. You're too good for me."

Pulling my hand free, I wrapped that arm around her shoulders. She snuggled into me, her head resting over my heart. "You've needed someone who will do anything to protect you. You and Haleigh both. I'm just doing what I have to. You're my family. A man protects what belongs to him."

She gently patted my stomach and looked up at me with a smile. "Then I know we're well-protected if you're my man."

"You better believe it. I'll always protect you. Both of you, and any future kids we have."

Sighing, she snuggled closer to me and fell asleep within minutes. Slowly, we both started to sink down the pillows and lower onto the mattress. Haleigh cuddled into my chest against my wounded side.

But I endured the pain.

It let me know I was alive. And still a fighter.

* * *

**Walker, Walker, Walker. Ugh. And Embry! OMG! I don't think Tricia's going to be getting a lot of sleep any time soon. Anywhozzle! Let me know what you think! Love ya! xoxoxoxoxo**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29! The final chapter of this trilogy! Guys, I just couldn't wait any longer to give this one to you. I totally had it written three days ago. I'm kind of sad that this is the end of this, but hey, I'll be back! Oh and if this is in a weird format, I apologize. More technical difficulties. Can't seem to escape them.**

***Disclaimer***

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**Monday...Day before Christmas Eve**

**RPOV**

What a difference only a few days could make. My leg had lost all the pins and needles feelings and I could walk for long periods of time before it gave out. And then, I only needed a couple minutes of recup time to stretch it out. Adam and Derek had been a blessing by going out to hunt for me. Calahan had finally let up to allow Rhett to see them. Jacob had gone with them to talk to him. It would be a long road for them, but at least they were able to talk to each other.

I was currently making breakfast before going to down to get my stitches out. The skin was no longer red and angry. Instead, it was now puckered and pink like Jake's scars had been. It looked like Jane's bite mark was there to stay, a permanent scar. But I was proud of it. I'd survived. She hadn't.

Jacob was out with Xavier, having promised to spend the day with him. They'd gone to see if Xavier could pass his permit test. Uncle Jasper had gotten papers and such done for him to make him legal. Jacob had been working and studying with him for a while now. So it was just me today, which was fine. Cricket and Trey had moved out over the weekend to their new apartment.

Humming to myself, I sat down at the table with my French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Thankfully my stomach had gone back to normal after the shock had worn off.

Or at least I thought it had. Until I got into the fridge for the butter.

Something had caught my eye. Leftover soup from the other day. Just looking at it, my stomach flopped and I swallowed convulsively. My gag reflex was working double time.

Shutting the door, I booked it for the bathroom in the hallway. And tossed nothing up. I hadn't eaten yet. All that came up was the orange juice, but my stomach heaved multiple times.

What the hell was wrong with me? I'd been feeling better, slowly eating heavier things than crackers. Even the blood I'd kept down. And I'd been so damn tired. Jacob and I hadn't made love since the morning of the fight because I was always asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Maybe it was my period. I'd been cramping lately.

Wait.

My eyes widened.

"No-" I whispered as if I couldn't believe what my brain had just cooked up, a hand to my stomach and one to my mouth.

Getting up, I washed out my mouth and brushed my teeth. Luckily, I kept a toothbrush up here. Running around, I turned off everything, grabbed my jacket, and booked it for Shelby and Seth's place. I had a key and the alarm code. They were gone for the day and I knew Shelby had what I needed.

Going straight for their bathroom, I went through the cabinet, grabbed the box, and ran for my house. Didn't want a random patrol wolf to see me. When I got home, I texted Shelby to let her know that I'd needed to get something from her house and that's why I'd been in there.

Back home, I read the instructions quickly, grabbed a stick and went to the bathroom.

Longest three minutes of my life.

Hopping up and down, I forced myself to slow my breathing. My heart was about to jump out of my chest. My stomach flopped again, and I thought I might start heaving again, but then my phone's timer beeped.

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, I let it out slowly and looked over at the test.

Holy. Shit.

**JPOV**

I looked at the clock one more time. Two whole minutes had passed. But I knew Xavier. He would take five minutes for each question if he could. If I remembered correctly, the permit test was timed, though. So, I sat in a chair with my elbows on my knees and my head hanging. I'd had to move to the back row where the chairs were against the wall because of all the giggling girls. I kept feeling their eyes on me, so I'd moved to keep my eyes on them. Didn't want their dads to think I was that kind of guy.

Nessie had told me to come out today with Xavier. He didn't really have anybody else that he was close to. She'd promised me that she'd be ok, that she'd call someone if she couldn't make it down to the big house on her own. I'd taken her word and come out with the kid.

"Jacob!"

Looking up, I saw Xavier standing at the counter, waiting to see if he passed or not. All the girls were staring between us. At least half of them seemed interested in Xavier.

After a minute, the woman stamped something on the paper and Xavier lit up like Christmas. He'd passed.

"Congrats," the woman said. "Your first time, too. Must have had a good teacher."

Xavier avoided her gaze but he smiled. "He's pretty awesome."

Now we had to wait to get his picture taken. He came to sit next to me after taking a number for the next line. The girls turned with him. Dammit. Couldn't escape it. I made sure to flash my wedding band as much as possible.

"So, how'd you do?"

We both bent over the paper. He'd only missed one question. Not bad at all.

I clapped his back, grinning, proud. "Not bad, man. Good job."

"Thanks," he said bashfully. "I'm pretty sure I passed because of you. You're a really good teacher."

"And you're a good student."

Looking up, I caught a girl glancing at him out of the corner of her eye over her book. I hadn't noticed her before. She must have just sat down. She wasn't like the others. She was shy, not openly ogling him and whispering about it to her friends. Kind of refreshing. I nudged his shoulder. When he looked at me, I used my eyes to point. He caught my meaning and glanced at her. She dropped her gaze and shifted in her seat, blushing, going back to her book. He flushed, too.

Clearing his throat, he punched my shoulder. "Not cool, man."

I chuckled. "I thought it was pretty amusing. So why _don't_ you have a girlfriend? Half the girls in here can't keep their eyes off you. She's staring at you again."

He gave me a look that included wide eyes. "Dude," he said between his teeth. "Shut up."

I laughed.

He shrugged and lowered his voice. "I don't know. Our pack just wasn't involved with humans. And all the young females were already mated off by the time I joined this pack. Besides, I was more interested in taking care of those kids. Malik had a thing about kids. I did what I could."

I clapped him on the back of the neck. "Well, Malik is gone now. And Walker wants you guys involved with humans. So take advantage of that. You're a strong guy. But most of all you're young. You shouldn't have to take all that responsibility. It's time for you to act your age. And apparently, you're quite attractive. I'm a straight, married dude so I can't really say anything, but by the way they're acting, I'd say you have a chance with half the rez."

Looking up, he took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. "You really think so? I've never really talked to a girl. Not like that."

"Of course. You're pretty cool once you open up. Just be you, ya know? Be sure to show them that you know how to treat a girl, that you respect them. Chicks dig that. Don't act like something you're not."

A number was called and the shy girl stood up to go get her picture taken. She had to pass right by us, and her eyes slipped to Xavier. A smile curved her lips when she saw him watching her.

"She's pretty," I said.

"Yeah, she is."

With wavy red hair to her waist, freckles, and a lot of curves, she was still tiny in height. Maybe five foot two, at best. She looked vaguely familiar, like I'd seen her around the rez before. I watched Xavier as he watched her. The back of his neck flushed when her eyes met his just as the camera flashed.

His number was called next and he fumbled up out of the chair. And right into her. It was classic. His shoulder bumped hers and she dropped her bag. Spilling apologies through his teeth, he helped her pick up her stuff.

"Thank you," she muttered.

"You're welcome. Sorry I bumped into you."

"I'm not," she whispered before taking off.

I laughed as Xavier just stood there, staring after her.

The camera operator snapped at him. "Kid, I don't have all day. You want a picture or not?"

Xavier shook himself, sat down, and got his picture taken.

Oh, he wasn't going to live this down. Not if I had anything to do with it.

**RPOV**

Holy shit!

What do I do now?

Wait a minute...it was too early to tell from Wednesday.

Which meant…

Pulling out my phone, feeling sick again, I called Carlisle. I didn't want to call Jacob. If this was as good and big as I was thinking then it would make the most perfect Christmas present ever.

"Hi, sweetie. I was wondering if you were coming down."

"I am. About to be on my way, but I need to ask you something."

"Okay?"

"Is Dad there?"

"Um, no. Everybody except me and Esme went hunting. Why? What's wrong?"

It was hard to think. I felt like I was going to faint. "I, uh, I...um-"

Now he sounded worried. "Nessie, what's wrong?"

I pulled myself together long enough to form a complete sentence. "I'm not sure anything's wrong, but I need to see you immediately. I'm on my way down now."

Hanging up, I grabbed the stick with the cap, and locked the door behind me. Forgetting about my leg, I practically ran down to the house and up the stairs to the ER. Walker, Christa, and Haleigh had gone home yesterday.

Carlisle turned when I came through the door. He was frowning. "What's going on?"

"Is anybody else here besides you and Esme?"

He shook his head. "No, sweetie. Why?"

Taking a deep breath, I held up the stick.

For a moment, all he did was look at it. And then he managed to blink. "I...I d-don't...uh, when did you take that?"

"Just now."

"Maybe we should call Jacob," he said, going for his phone.

"No," I sternly. When he frowned at me, I tried to calm my tone. "I don't want to get his hopes up if something is wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Closing the door behind me, I went to sit on the bed. "Think about it. The last time Jake and I were...intimate was Wednesday morning, before the battle. Not since. That would mean that I was...before the fighting. I need to know if everything is okay before I tell him."

Finally, he picked up on what I was saying. His professionalism slid back into place as he snapped on some gloves. "Alright. Let me take some blood. Then, we can do an ultrasound."

I swallowed hard. "Is...is there a way to tell if-if everything is…" I couldn't seem to get my thoughts in order.

Carlisle came over to put a hand on my shoulder. "Yes. The heartbeat will tell me what I need to know. But that won't account for any mental damage, if there is any." My breathing became unsteady then because I hadn't thought of that, and I started to panic. He hurried to say, "Nessie, sweetie, your body is more durable than a human's. I'd say there's very slight risk for that kind of damage. Were you hit in that area at any time?"

Forcing myself to breathe and think, I remembered back to the fight. Had I been hit in the stomach?

I shook my head. "No, not that I can remember."

"Then the risk is very slight in my opinion. But let me get some blood and then we can move on."

Swallowing hard, I nodded, absently rolling up my sleeve. He did his thing, but didn't make me wait for him to study the blood. He rolled out an ultrasound machine and ordered me to lay back and lift my shirt. I did as instructed while he prepped everything and put that really cold gel on the skin of my lower belly. Moving the wand around my stomach, he spread the gel and studied the screen. If I looked at it, I was going to throw up.

At first, he just frowned at the screen.

And then he smiled. "Aha. Found you."

Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.

"Ness, do you want to-"

I squeezed my eyes closed and shook my head.

"Alright. We'll wait for that part." He put down the wand and wiped off my belly. I was left alone for just a second before he came back. "I'm going to wrap this band around your waist, okay? Now, if there is anything, it will be fast, like a bird, so don't freak out. It'll sound a lot like yours because your heartbeat is faster than a human's, which would probably explain why none of us have heard it."

I nodded. There was no way to talk without hurling.

Moments later, the band was hooked up and around my waist. And we waited. It was killing me. I wanted earplugs. When another heartbeat passed and nothing happened, my heart crumbled. Tears pooled under my closed lids.

A cool hand stroked my forehead. "Nessie, shh, it's ok, sweetie."

I shook my head again, tears hanging in the corner of my eyes.

"Hold on. Forgot to turn it up."

Another second passed.

And then a fluttering sounded throughout the room. Like a bird.

My eyes popped open wide to see Carlisle grinning.

"Sounds perfect."

**JPOV**

When I walked into the house, Nessie was dancing around and singing at the top of her lungs along with her iPod that was blasting at top volume. Strips of wrapping paper, tape, and ribbon were strewn everywhere. Under the tree were two gifts: the one she'd gotten for me, and mine for her.

Looking down her body, I saw that the stitches had been removed.

The volume on the radio went down and Ness came to me, breathing hard. "Hey, baby. Did you have fun today?"

Leaning down, I kissed her. "Yeah. Xavier passed the test, and met a future girlfriend if he ever runs into her again and talks to her."

"That's great!"

I quirked an eyebrow. "You're awfully happy right now."

She shrugged and danced away from me. "It's Christmas. And we defeated the Volturi, finally making our home and family safe. Why shouldn't I be happy? You're alive, I'm alive. What more could I ask for?"

When the oven dinged, she danced for it. Something was up. Or maybe she was just really in the Christmas mood. Tomorrow_ was_ Christmas Eve after all, and it was her favorite time of year. Maybe it had sunk in for her that the bad guys were gone for good. Or at least, those bad guys.

"What's for dinner?" I asked, throwing my jacket on the back of the couch and brushed the snow from my hair. I'd spent the afternoon teaching Xavier how to drive in the snow on the backroads that weren't traveled often.

She took a pan out of the oven. "I decided to try to make my own subs, like that sub shop we like? Not sure how they turned out but-"

"But they smell freaking amazing," I said as my stomach growled so hard that I actually felt it. I kissed her cheek as I sat down at the table. "I bet they're delicious."

"I hope so. I just sort of threw some stuff together. More meat for you, more veggies for me."

"Ah," I said as she put a plate in front of me with chips and the sandwich on it. "The Italian."

"Yup," she said happily, plopping down next to me. She swung her thigh over my knee and picked up her sandwich.

I picked up mine, biting into it, watching her. And then groaned in ecstasy. Best freaking sandwich of my life.

"Pretty sure I just had a foodgasm," I said when she looked at me expectantly.

She laughed around her own bite. Nodding, she wiped her hands on a napkin. "I have to say that I think I did a pretty good job."

"Are you kidding? I'd pay some good money for a sub like that. Holy crap, Ness. Seriously. You have a talent for food, baby."

She practically glowed. "Thank you. I just wanted to try something different."

"Well you should do stuff like this more often. It's great."

She beamed at me.

God, I loved that woman. And that smile.

**Tuesday...Christmas Eve**

**JPOV**

I woke up to the toilet flushing and then the sound of Nessie brushing her teeth. Geez, she was up early. But her side of the bed was still warm. She hadn't been up long.

She came out of the bathroom licking her lips and brushing her hair. When she saw that I was awake, she grinned. "Good morning."

"Morning." When she sat back down on the bed, I curled up around her. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Christmas Eve! Duh! Now come on, get up. I promised Billy we'd be down there early."

"What time is it?"

"Eleven-thirty. Becca and Rachel are going to be there, too. We're doing food and presents there today with them so that tomorrow we can visit with Charlie, Sue and my family. I figured tonight could be me and you. Or we could do our presents before we go down there."

I frowned. "You sure? I mean, we could wait for tonight or tomorrow morning."

Even though I would love for everyone to see her in the necklace I got her.

She perked up as if she knew what I was thinking. "You wanna do ours now?"

Sitting up, I shrugged. "Whatever you want, baby. I don't mind."

She clapped and bit her lower lip. "Good, because I really can't wait anymore."

I couldn't help but laugh. She was adorable when she was excited. And it was great to see her like this again.

"Alright, alright. My turn in the bathroom and then we can go upstairs."

I did my thing and Ness was outside the door waiting for me. Taking my hand, she dragged me upstairs. Looking out one of the windows on my way to the couch, I saw several inches of snow. Probably a couple feet. With a huge jolt, I was shoved onto the couch.

"You are really excited about Christmas this year, aren't you?" I asked with a chuckle.

She smiled again. I wasn't sure she'd stopped. "You have no idea." Going over to the tree, she grabbed my present and handed it to me. "You first," she said, cuddling up next to me.

"Alright."

She had her camera out and I was glad that I'd thought to put a tank on. Ripping into the paper, I found a very nice, heavy-duty clothing box. Giving her a look, I took the lid off.

It was a black leather jacket, and it was very, very nice. Tracing my fingers over it, I knew that it was expensive because it was already malleable, supple under my fingers. It was the most beautiful piece of clothing I'd ever seen, besides Nessie's wedding dress. And knowing Ness and her relatives, it would fit perfectly. But I stood up anyway, pulled it out of the box, and slid it on. Fit like a glove, a little loose so that I knew it would go over my clothes.

"Ness, it's perfect. I love it."

She snapped another picture. "Really? I didn't want you to think I was trying to replace the old one. I know it's sentimental."

"Baby, really, I love this. You have no idea. Thank you so much."

Her grin was radiant. "You're welcome. It looks amazing on you. Makes you look like a badass."

Laughing, I leaned down to kiss her. "You're the only woman to tame me."

"I better be."

"Okay," I said clapping my hands, finally in the spirit. "Your turn." I reached under the tree, grabbed her gift, and handed it to her.

I took the camera from her so she could open it. I got several pictures of her making faces trying to peel the paper off. After a couple minutes, she finally got to the jewelry box. Just as I had with her, she looked at me as she opened the box.

And gasped when she looked down.

**RPOV**

Tears filled my eyes as I stared down at the most beautiful necklace I'd ever seen. Black and topaz diamonds lining the pendant and the wolf.

"Jacob," I breathed. "It's...it's gorgeous."

He snapped another picture. Launching forward, I kissed him just like in every jewelry commercial in existence. Taking it out of the box, I handed it to him and turned around, holding my hair up.

"Put it on me. I am so wearing it today. And every single day after."

Chuckling, he managed to put the tiny clasp together around my neck. It hung in the middle of my chest, well above my breasts. Which was good. Now people could look at it without staring at my breasts.

"It's perfect, Jacob. I love it so much. And it matches our rings."

"That was the point," he said, tracing the pendant with a finger. "Guess we better get dressed and down to Billy's."

I held up a finger. "Not yet." This was what I had been waiting for, and I couldn't wait anymore. That was why I had suggested we do this now. Billy and them could wait. This was much bigger. "I have something else."

He frowned. "Two presents? I'm vastly unprepared."

Laughing, I got off the couch and went to the linen closet. "Don't feel bad. This one was totally last minute. And don't think of it as just for you. This present is kind of for the both of us."

I took out the square box holding something else that I had taken from Shelby's house. She'd understand. I'd wrapped it up present-style. Going back to the couch, I sat down facing Jacob, my feet under his thigh, and handed him the box.

He gave me a questioning look as I grabbed my camera and watched him unwrap it. I was clicking away madly as he lifted the lid. Confusion washed over his features as he looked at the pacifier in the box.

"What? A pacifier? Ness-"

"Remember that I said this present was for _both_ of us?"

He thought about it, frowning.

And then understanding smoothed the frown into wide eyes and shock. Dropping the box, he turned his head to stare at me. I was grinning so hard I thought my face was going to break.

"Are you-? We're...I'm…"

"Yes. Yes. And yes," I answered.

His eyes went down to my stomach and then back to my face. "But we haven't...we...the day of the fight…"

I nodded, swallowing. "I know. I had the same thought. But Carlisle tested me. Jacob, I heard the heartbeat."

"Why haven't I?"

"Because my heartbeat masked it. They're about the same speed." He was still in shock. "I still have the test if you wanna see it."

He just nodded, mouth slightly open.

Getting up, I grabbed the test from the bathroom with the **Positive** written across it. Seeing as how he wasn't functional, I held it in front of his face so he could read it. His eyes read over it, and his mouth moved. Eventually, he took the test and just stared at it.

"We're pregnant," he breathed, a gentle smile stretching his lips.

"Yes," I whispered. "We're having a baby."

His dark eyes found mine before he threw the test onto the coffee table. The box with the pacifier fell to the floor as he reached for my face. His thumbs traced my cheekbones.

"When did you find out?"

"Yesterday. I threw up again. And then realized my period was late. Once I deduced that it had to have happened before the fight, I went to Carlisle to make sure that everything was ok. He says the heartbeat is strong. And there could be a slight to no chance of mental damage because I didn't get hit in the stomach at all that day, and my body is more durable than a human's."

"You waited an entire day to tell me?"

Not meeting his eyes, I nodded. "I know I should have told you, but I wanted the ultimate present for you."

Laughing, he scooted closer, his forehead to mine. "Baby, I'm not mad. I'm impressed. I could never be mad. We're having a baby. Did you have an ultrasound?"

Grinning through tears, I nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't look. I didn't want to see it without you there. But when Carlisle found it, the wand was about here." I pointed to the lower left side of my stomach.

Wrapping his arms gently around my waist, he picked me up and moved me so that my knees were straddling his thighs. He huddled down so that he could press his ear to my stomach.

"I hear it," he whispered, eyes closed. "I can hear it. How far along?"

"Uh, three weeks. He said we conceived either Thanksgiving week or the week after. So barely a month."

"That morning."

"What?"

"Do you remember that morning when I made love to you slowly?"

I thought back. It was during the week after Thanksgiving. "Yeah, I remember."

"That was it. That was when we made this baby."

Smiling, I stroked his face. "How do you know?"

"I don't. But it feels right. I felt something that morning between us."

We just stared at each other for a while. And then his phone rang.

"Don't tell anyone," I said. "Not yet. We should wait until tomorrow when everyone is together."

He nodded as he reached around me for his phone on the table. I was pretty sure he wasn't going to let me go for a while. Which was fine with me.

He had to clear his throat before he answered. "Yeah?...Hey, Dad...Yeah, we're coming down. We just did our Christmas this morning so that we can spend more time with you guys tonight and tomorrow...Yeah, sure. You need us to bring down anything?...I'm fine, Dad...Yes, I'm sure...Okay, we'll be down soon…See you later. Bye."

I just stroked his hair with one hand and my stomach with the other. It felt strange to know that our child was growing inside me and at the same time, I couldn't feel or hear it. Jacob's big hand rested over mine, stilling it.

He swallowed hard. "I'm gonna be a dad," he said as if he couldn't believe it.

I kissed his forehead. "And you're gonna be a great one."

"How am I supposed to go through today and not tell anybody? Ness, this is huge. We're having a baby. You're pregnant."

He was in as much shock as I had been yesterday. Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed his head to my chest and held him. His hand rubbed circles on my belly.

I kissed the top of his head. "I know. I wanna tell, too. But for today, think of it as our present. Let's enjoy it."

Nodding as if that was a good idea, he said, "Yeah, yeah. Our present."

"And you can't act like this. Be yourself. Not shocky."

Leaning back, he gave me a look. "Be myself? I never met myself after I've been told I'm going to be a father. This is a first. I'm still adjusting."

I laughed. "Okay. Well, try. Now, let's go get dressed before Billy sends the wolves after us."

**JPOV**

Ness hopped off my lap and skipped to the bedroom. Every part of me wanted to tell her to stop, to walk, to be careful. But I didn't. Skipping was not going to hurt...the baby.

Holy shit. I was going to be a father. Me, Jacob Black, a dad. Holy. Shit.

"Jacob! Get down here and get dressed!"

There were so many things I had to do in eight months. Eight months. Geez, that didn't seem like a long time. Not anymore.

"Jake!"

Looking over, I saw Ness at the top of the stairs in a pair of jeans and a deep red sweater. Her hair was braided loosely and resting on her shoulder. I imagined what she'd look like in only a few months' time, belly rounded, breasts heavier, bigger clothes.

Smiling at me like I was doing something cute, she came over to sit on my lap again. "Jacob, sweetie, it's okay. Everything is going to be fine. You're going to be great. And we'll get everything done before the baby gets here. I promise."

"How did you know that's what I was thinking?" I asked, wrapping my arms protectively around her waist.

"Because I'm your soul mate. I know that's what you'd worry about." She tugged on my neck. "Now please. Let's go."

Ten minutes later, I was locking the door behind me, Nessie tucked into my side. She'd huffed. But, dammit, she was pregnant with my child. No way was I letting her near icy conditions without me. I'd gotten the other truck from the Cullen place before picking up Xavier, so it was sitting in front of the house. After helping Ness into her seat, I got into mine and cranked up the heat.

She glared at me. "I'm pregnant, not getting frostbite. Turn that down. And turn off the butt-warmers. Really?"

I gave her a look. "You're not freezing."

"No, I'm not. In fact, I'm starting to sweat." She reached for the controls and turned down the heat a notch or two.

Growling, I turned the truck around and made my way slowly down the icy drive. I'd put chains on the tires, but still, just in case, I went slow.

Suddenly, Nessie laughed.

"What?"

"You. You find out I'm pregnant and suddenly I'm glass."

Sighing, I reached out for her hand. "Ness, you're carrying my child. It's not just you now and you can't tell me that you can take it. We have no idea how fragile that life is right now. So, for me, as the male, the protector, the_ father_, it makes me feel better to be uberly cautious. Besides, if something happens to the baby, it could hurt you. I don't want that. You're my life. Remember that. So you better get used to this."

She squeezed my fingers. "Well, when you put it like that...if it makes you feel better, I suppose I can deal with it."

I spared a glance at her with a smile. And then kissed her fingers. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Eventually, we made it to Billy's and I had to put my game face on. Nessie had beat me to her door, jumping out into the snow. Instead of taking my arm, she told me to get the presents as she made her way inside.

Gnashing my teeth, I grabbed the large bag out of the back of the truck and thought that that woman was going to be the death of me. She acted completely normal as she interacted with everybody. If she could do it, so could I. Although, I did notice she avoided some of the food, swallowing hard and taking deep breaths.

"Hey, little brother!" Becca said as she hugged me. "Nice jacket."

"Thanks," I said, hugging her back. "Ness gave it to me for Christmas."

"I know. I saw her necklace. You did good."

I grinned. "Thanks."

Billy rolled up to us. He gave me a funny look. "You sure you're okay? You seem...brighter."

Chuckling, I shook my head. "Brighter?"

"Yeah," he said slowly, watching me like I was growing a second head.

"Whatever, old man. I'm fine. It's Christmas and we're evil vampire-free. Why can't I be happy about that?"

Ness looked around the doorway to the kitchen with a grin, recognizing her own words to me. I winked at her.

"Uh-huh," Billy said suspiciously.

"Oh, go roll in the snow," I said, taking off my jacket and hanging it up.

After all the food and all the chit-chat, we were finally sitting around the living room, passing out presents. Nessie was in my lap, and I couldn't help but rub her lower stomach every now and then. It was just too tempting and too surreal to believe that we were pregnant. That she had my baby inside her this very moment.

She'd put her hands over mine subtly covering them up, lacing our fingers together. She was so much better at this than I was. I could only imagine how well she'd do with the baby once it got here.

"Okay, okay, guys! Last present!" Rebecca shouted over the noise. She was holding a large square item. "And it goes to…" she read the tag. "Nessie and Jacob!" Reaching over everybody, she handed the gift to Ness. "It's from Claire. And since she couldn't be here, she made me promise to take lots of pictures, so I apologize ahead of time."

Nessie turned so we could both open it. Once the paper was on the floor, we were both too shocked to moved, both speechless.

It was the most gorgeous, life-like drawing I had ever seen. If I hadn't known that she'd drawn it, I would have sworn it was a photo.

In it, Nessie was standing out on the cliffs so that her right profile was facing the viewer, the ocean in the distance. She was in a gorgeous red dress, a white rose in her hands held up to her nose. Clearly, the wind was blowing in the drawing because her copper-colored hair was whipping out around her.

And then there was me, in wolf form. My body was in left profile. I was standing in front of Nessie, head lowered down toward her stomach, and looking out at the viewer, as if I were daring them to look at her and think something else was more beautiful.

The drawing was already framed so that nothing could smudge it.

"Well, let us see," Rachel demanded after Ness had teared up.

She turned it around for the room to see. Everyone just sort of took a collective gasp.

"Holy crap," Paul said. "That girl has some mad skills."

"That is truly beautiful," Tom said.

Henry walked up to the picture and pointed at the wolf. "Uncle Daycob."

He was still learning his words, but the meaning was clear. He recognized me, even though he'd never seen me in wolf form before.

"That's right," Becca said. "That's your Uncle Jacob."

After that, everybody started breaking up to play with their new toys. Paul had given Rachel her laptop and was explaining what all Trey had done to it to help her get a business started up. I mentioned Cricket's candles and she became super excited.

But the moment Nessie started yawning, I knew it was time to go home. She'd be dead asleep by the time her head hit the pillow. So, getting up, I gathered all our stuff and put it in the truck, also starting the vehicle so it would warm up a little. The temperature had dropped and more snow was coming down in huge flakes.

"Alright, guys," I said, pulling her up off the couch. She leaned into me tiredly. "I think it's time for us to go." I shook hands with all the guys, and Billy followed us to the door. "You're coming up to the Cullen place tomorrow, right?"

He nodded. "Of course."

I nodded. "Good. We'll see you tomorrow, then."

He gave me narrowed eyes. "You're still acting weird."

"And you're still a suspicious old man. Bye, Dad."

"Bye, son. Be careful out there."

With the precious cargo in my arms? He didn't have to tell me twice. "Absolutely. Good night."

"Night."

"Bye, Billy," Ness said.

"Bye, sweetheart."

After I got her into the truck, I took us on the path to home.

**Wednesday...Christmas Day.**

**RPOV**

"Ness? We're gonna be late, babe."

I heaved one more time before flushing the toilet.

"Tell that to the morning sickness," I said.

Jacob walked into the bathroom, giving me a sympathetic look. Closing the lid to the toilet, I sat down.

Putting my head in my hands, I said, "Why do I get to be one of the women with morning sickness? This sucks."

Kneeling down in front of me, he wiped my face and then mouth with a wet washcloth. "Because you can handle it. Feel better?"

"Now that my stomach is empty? Much." I took the washcloth from him. "Thanks, baby. I do need blood, though. That, I can keep down."

He shook his head as he stood up and got my toothbrush out. "Our kid is just like you."

Frowning, I stood up to throw the rag in the hamper. "What do you mean?"

"While Bella was pregnant with you, the only thing she could eat-drink-was blood. Her body wouldn't let her keep food in her system."

"Oh. My bad."

Laughing, he handed me a cap of mouthwash. I took it gratefully and gargled. Then I brushed my teeth.

Spitting out the toothpaste, I said, "I just wish I could keep something other than crackers down," and then washed my mouth out.

"You kept that sub down. Try some veggies. But the baby_ is_ part werewolf. Have you tried meat?"

It was an automatic reaction, the face I made. "I can't stand the smell of it now. I made bacon the other day and it smelled foul. I thought it was something else though. But last night at Billy's, I nearly threw up all over the ham."

Jacob quirked an eyebrow. "You sure that's my kid, then?"

Turning around, I punched him in the chest. "Pretty damn sure. Jerk."

Faking being wounded, he rubbed his chest and pouted at me before taking me into his arms. "I'm joking. I know it's mine." His eyes went to my lips just before he dipped down to take them. "Mmm, minty freshness."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, smooth-talker. Let's get out of here before this kid strikes again. I can't handle anymore heaving. And the cold air feels good."

Jacob's shock over the pregnancy had subsided, which was good. We weren't immediately going to spill as soon as we got there so he had to think about something else around my dad. He'd told me he was going to go through every mechanical thing he could think of. I hoped Carlisle was doing something similar. Probably was since Dad hadn't been up here with raised eyebrows demanding an explanation.

Jacob followed me out of the bathroom and up the stairs. "We're not walking."

"Oh yes we are."

"Ness, it's freezing out there."

I turned on him. He almost ran into me he was following me so closely. "Do you want me to throw up on you? No? Ok, then we're walking. Jacob, I will be fine. I'll just bundle up more. And trust me, this kid is warm inside me, okay? Besides, I have you, my personal space heater." I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I know you want more than anything to wrap me up in bubble wrap until the baby's born, but Jacob, I'm fine. My whole life doesn't have to change. I'm more durable than a human and a lot of human females play in the snow when they're pregnant. Please. I know you don't want to, but can you at least try to curb the overprotectiveness? Just a little? For me?"

Sighing, he rested his head on my shoulder. "Sorry. You're right. You are so right. Emily played in the snow when she was pregnant with Leila. I guess I can talk to Sam...after we tell everybody."

"Thank you," I said, stroking his chest. "I know it's hard for you. I really do. I just need a little room to breathe. Or throw up."

He chuckled. "I think I can handle that."

We shared a soft kiss. "Good. Now, let's go before someone calls us."

I bundled up in a winter coat, boots, a scarf, gloves, and a hat. It was hot, but I'd cool down outside. Jacob slipped into his new jacket, and off we went.

As soon as Dad saw Jacob, I knew he knew something was off because he frowned and narrowed his eyes at him.

When Aunt Rose hugged me, she said, "Seriously, is that a new perfume?"

Shit. I must smell different to them. The hormones. "Uh, yeah," I lied. "I was shopping and found it. I just really liked it."

She nodded. "I like it. It suits you."

_Good_, I thought. _Because I can't really stop wearing it_.

Jacob and I exchanged a look. Dinner better come fast, because that's when we planned on telling everyone.

Slowly, everybody started showing up. Haleigh and Claire were inseparable. Henry stayed close to Leila. Rhett had been allowed to come with Derek and Adam. When they introduced me to him, he'd looked at me funny. I shook my head slightly. Thankfully, he caught it and didn't say anything. Shelby's dad and his girlfriend, Audrey, had even shown up.

Eventually, we finally made it to dinner. My stomach was in knots, though I didn't know what I was nervous about. Everybody would be happy that Jacob and I were pregnant. And I would be happy that everybody freaking knew.

Once everybody had finished eating and were just sitting there talking, Jake and I shared another look. I shrugged. Better now than never.

Standing up, he tapped his knife against his glass. Everyone stopped on a dime to look over at him. And those not in the dining room made their way in or around.

Clearing his throat, Jacob raised his glass. "First off, Merry Christmas! I hope everybody has had a good holiday so far."

"Merry Christmas!" everybody echoed, raising their glasses.

"Second," Jacob said, calming the crowd down. "I have a very important announcement to make." Turning, he offered his hand to me. I took it and stood with him. "It would seem that Ness and I...well..."

He looked back at me.

Smiling, I raised my glass. All eyes were expectantly on us.

"Jacob and I are expecting a baby."

At first, eyes widened. Looks were shared. Smiles broke out. And then the applause and whistles, howls and happy yips.

"I knew you looked weird!" Billy yelled.

We both chuckled.

Jacob wrapped his arm around my waist as the room exploded into cheers. They pushed in wanting hugs and to congratulate us. Shelby and my mother pushed through everybody to wrap me up in a hug.

"Oh my god!" Shelby yelled. "I'm so excited! I told you it would happen!" And then she went for Jacob.

Mom held my face in her hands. If she could have cried, she would have. "My little nudger," she sniffled, "is having a nudger of her own." And then she wrapped me in her arms. "Oh, I love you so much!"

I could cry and I did. "I love you, too, Mom," I sniffled into her shoulder.

And then Dad was there, grinning. Mom pulled away from me to go hug Jacob who was getting backslaps from all the guys.

I hugged my father. "Please don't make me cry. I might throw up."

He choked out a laugh. "Oh, sweetie. My baby girl is all grown up." He pulled back so he could meet my eyes. "You need _anything_ you let us know, okay?"

"I will," I whispered.

We all passed around hugs and kisses until everyone was back in their seats, chattering excitedly.

Another clink sounded.

It was Billy.

He cleared his throat. "As most of you know, I am Jacob's father. And a lot of you know that Jacob's mother is no longer with us. However, I know that I can speak for her when I say that she would be fiercely proud of the man you've become, as have I. Before Nessie, my gorgeous daughter-in-law, came around, you had been put through the wringer, been told that you were wrong, been told that you couldn't change what needed to happen. And yet, you fought for your right to stand up, to be something other than your birthright. Against the odds, you won and saved innocent lives. Out of that courage, you gained a beautiful, strong, courageous soul mate who fought, who was willing to sacrifice her life, to keep both your and her families safe. Destiny gave you a woman that nobody else is worthy of but you. I am proud to call you both my children, my family. And may the spirits bless your union and the child such a union has conceived. I think I speak on behalf of both the Black- and the Cullen?" my dad nodded to him, "- families when I say, congratulations!"

Everybody raised their glasses. I looked up to see that Jacob was struggling with his emotions.

"Congratulations!"

Jacob raised his glass to his dad, a couple tears falling, before he turned to me, wrapped his arms around my waist, popped me off my feet, and spun me around. The room cheered.

And then he put me down, picked up his glass, and said, "Now, I know I can't top what my dad just said, so I won't try. However, I do have something to say. We all know that Nessie is my imprint, that I was the one to give her the nickname we all use. I have given her a lot of things over the past years of her life. But within these past few months, she has given me so much more than I could have ever given her. She gave me her love, her forgiveness. In front of everyone, she vowed to stay by my side through sickness, health, better, and worse. She took my last name as hers. She moved in with me. She has endured my idiotic, maniacal alter ego of alpha male. And now, she's going to bear my child." The whole time he'd been speaking, he'd looked at me. Now, he looked at the crowd. "Guys, I honestly don't know what would have happened to me if I had never found her, if I hadn't stuck around to imprint on her. I do know that I wouldn't be the man I am today. Everything I am, every bad part of me that disappeared, is because of her. Renesmee Carlie Cullen was my second chance at life, at having a good life with no broken heart. But now, after all this time, and all that she's done for me, Renesmee Carlie Black_ is_ my life."

He pulled me back to my feet and into his body.

His last line was soft yet carried.

"And I cannot wait to start this new journey with her."

As our family cheered, I looked into the eyes of my mate, my husband.

And knew that my happily every after was just beginning.

**The End**

* * *

**Guys! I cried through the entire second half of this chapter! I cannot wait to see Jacob as a dad. So many thoughts in my head. Please don't forget to review this FINAL series chapter! I love all of my fans that have stuck with me through these three stories. And even those that only read the first one, they can't see this, but I still appreciate them. I'm not sure how long it will take me to start the pregnancy chronicles or the kids' stories, but I really hope to be posting soon! Love you, you, and yes, you, too! xoxoxoxo**


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